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Section         x'    ^* 


PETER 


THE    APOSTLE. 


BY  THE 

REV.  WILLIAM   M.  TAYLOR,  D.D., 

MINISTER  OF  THE  BROADWAY  TABERNACLE,  NEW  YORK  CITY; 

AUTHOR   OF 

*'  DAVID  KING  OF  ISRAEL  "  AND  ''  ELIJAH  THE  PROPHET." 


NEW   YORK: 

HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  PUBLISHERS, 

FRANKLIN     SQUARE. 
1877. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1876,  by 

Harper    &    Brothers, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


PREFACE 


IN  the  volume  now  presented  to  the  public,  the  author 
has  attempted  to  do  for  a  prominent  New  Testament 
character  what  he  has  done  in  former  works  for  such  Old 
Testament  worthies  as  David  and  Elijah. 

There  are  many  treatises — some  of  them  of  surpassing  ex- 
cellence— on  the  life  of  Paul ;  yet  few  have  undertaken  to  set 
forth  in  order  the  incidents  and  lessons  of  the  history  of  Pe- 
ter ;  and  in  looking  for  a  subject  from  the  Christian  Script- 
ures, the  author  was  led  mainly  by  that  fact  to  the  selection 
of  the  Apostle  of  the  Circumcision. 

As  he  has  prosecuted  his  work,  he  has  grown  in  his  love 
of  the  warm-hearted,  impulsive,  and  often  blundering  apos- 
tle, and  in  his  appreciation  of  the  incalculable  service  ren- 
dered by  him  to  the  Church  and  to  the  world. 

He  has  looked  at  Peter  as  a  brother  man,  having  the  same 
infirmities  as  the  rest  of  us ;  and  he  has  sought  to  bring 
from  his  errors,  as  well  as  from  his  excellencies,  lessons  that 
may  be  helpful  to  Christians  generally  amidst  the  trials  and 
temptations  of  modern  life. 

It  has  been  a  joy  to  him  to  find  that  he  has  had  to  keep 
close  company  with  the  Master,  in  order  to  do  justice  to  the 
disciple  ;  and  his  prayer  is,  that  every  reader  may  be  stimu- 
lated and  strengthened  by  his  words. 

New  York,  December,  1876. 


CONTENTS 


Page 

I.  The  Ministry  of  jfohn  the  Baptist 7 

II.  Finding  a7id  Bringing 21 

III.  Fishers  of  Men 36 

IV.  Walking  on  the  Waters 51 

V.  The  First  Confession 65 

VI.  The  Second  Co7ifession 78 

VII.  The  Rebuke 95 

VIII.  On  the  Holy  Mount 109 

IX.   The  Washing  of  the  Feet 124 

X.  Denial 138 

XI.  By  the  Lake  of  Galilee 153 

XII.  Pentecost 1 70  i- 

XIII.  The  La77ie  Man  Healed 185 

XIV.  Before  the  Council 201 

XV.  Ananias  aftd  Sapphira 217 

XVI.  Before  the  Council  Agai?t 235 

XVII.  Simon  Magus 253 

XVIII.  Eneas  and  Dorcas 268 

XIX.   Cornelius 283 

XX.  Peter  Prayed  Out  of  Prisoti 300 

XXI.  Peter  Withstood  by  Paul  at  Antioch 318 

XXII.  Letters  and  Last  Days 332 

XXIII.  Simon  Peter  a  Servant  and  an  Apostle  of  Christ.  349 

INDEX 375 


PETER,  THE  APOSTLE. 


I. 

THE  MINISTRY  OF  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST, 

John  i.,  19-39. 

IT  was  the  dark  hour  before  the  dawn,  and  the  pall  of  ruin 
seemed  to  have  spread  over  the  Land  of  Palestine.  The 
sceptre  of  David  had  passed  out  of  Jewish  hands,  and  the 
civil  authority  had  come  to  be  exercised  by  those  who  were 
the  puppets  of  the  Roman  emperor.  Even  the  office  of  the 
high-priest  had  lost  its  prestige,  and  men  were  promoted  to 
it  for  no  other  reason  than  that  they  were  the  favorites  of 
princes  or  the  masters  of  intrigue.  Crime  was  rampant,  and 
cruelty  was  common.  "  Judea,"  as  Josephus  says,  "was  full 
of  robberies;"  and  the  same  historian  affirms  "that  at  no 
time  of  their  history,  not  even  after  their  return  from  exile, 
had  the  nation  been  more  wretched."* 

The  religion  of  the  people  had  degenerated,  on  the  one 
hand,  into  a  cold  and  dreary  formalism,  which  seemed  to 
consider  that  a  punctilious  attention  to  all  traditional  re- 
quirements secured  an  indulgence  for  the  commission  of 
every  sort  of  iniquity  ;  and,  on  the  other,  into  a  cynical  skep- 
ticism, which,  by  denying  or  disbelieving  the  reality  of  the 
unseen  and  the  future,  destroyed  the  eternal  sanctions  of  the 

*  '•  Antiq.,"  xvii.,  10,  7,  2. 


8  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

divine  law,  and  left  the  man  at  liberty  to  indulge  in  sin  with- 
out fear  of  retribution ;  while  some,  disgusted  with  society, 
withdrew  into  the  desert,  and  in  the  practice  of  asceticism 
learned,  alas  !  only  to  exchange  their  hatred  of  the  world  for 
the  deification  of  themselves. 

Thirty  years  before,  the  dying  embers  of  the  nation's  hope 
had  been  stirred  for  a  season  by  the  story  which  the  Bethle- 
hem shepherds  told,  and  the  rumor  of  some  singular  words 
uttered  by  two  venerable  saints  within  the  temple  courts. 
But  these  had  long  since  been  forgotten  by  all  save  that  one 
thoughtful  woman  of  Nazareth,  in  whose  heart  they  were  still 
cherished ;  and  now,  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  land,  there  was  the  silence  and  the  darkness  of  spiritual 
death.  "  When  the  tale  of  bricks  is  doubled,  then  comes 
Moses  ;"  and  it  was  at  this  time  of  deepest  national  degrada- 
tion that  a  voice  was  heard  calling  the  people  to  awake,  and 
telling  them  that  the  morning  was  at  hand. 

Faint  at  first,  and  feeble,  like  the  notes  of  the  earliest 
bird,  came  to  the  cities  the  rumor  of  the  appearance,  on  the 
edge  of  the  wilderness  of  Judea,  of  a  wonderful  preacher  of 
righteousness.  Then,  as  the  song  of  the  bird  is  taken  up 
and  repeated  by  all  the  tenants  of  the  grove,  that  report 
was  caught  up  and  re-echoed  by  the  people,  until,  in  eager 
curiosity,  they  trooped  out  by  thousands  to  listen  to  his 
words.  When  they  reached  his  encampment,  they  found  no 
vulgar  ascetic,  no  common  Essene,  who  made  a  merit  of  his 
misery,  but  indeed  a  thoughtful  man,  who  had  pondered 
long  in  solitude  over  the  problems  of  life  ;  and  who,  with 
eyes  that  God  had  opened,  descried  the  coming  of  a  king- 
dom, for  which  he  called  on  men,  with  thrilling  earnestness, 
•fo  prepare. 

In  dress  like  their  favorite  prophet  Elijah,  he  had  also  the 
grand  old  Tishbite's  peculiar  power.  He  knew  neither  fear 
nor  fawning.     He  called  things  by  their  right  names ;  and 


The  Ministry  of  John  the  Baptist.  9 

though  he  had  dwelt  so  long  in  the  desert,  he  let  his  hearers 
feel  that  he  had  not  forgotten  the  evils  which  he  had  seen 
practiced  in  the  cities.  He  aimed  right  at  their  consciences, 
and  spoke  in  plain  and  unmistakable  terms  of  the  sins 
with  which  they  were  chargeable.  He  knew  nothing  of  that 
simpering  propriety,  all  begloved  and  sleek,  which  has  chlo- 
roformed so  many  modern  preachers ;  but  he  exposed,  in 
words  as  unadorned  as  his  own  camlet  robe,  the  iniquities  of 
his  hearers,  and  called  on  them,  there  and  then,  to  repent. 

Nor  in  his  lips  was  repentance  a  mere  thing  of  word  pro- 
fession. He  made  men  feel  that,  to  be  genuine,  penitence 
must  bring  forth  appropriate  fruits.  And  among  these  fruits 
it  is  remarkable  that  he  made  no  mention  of  his  own  her- 
mit-like life.  He  did  not  say  to  the  crowds  that  thronged 
around  his  tent,  "  If  you  would  prepare  for  the  coming  king- 
dom of  heaven,  then  leave  the  busy  haunts  of  men,  as  I  have 
done,  and  withdraw  from  all  participation  in  the  engage- 
ments of  your  fellows."  But  he  bade  them  return  to  their 
homes  and  their  callings,  to  practice  there  the  principles  of 
righteousness  which  he  inculcated.  He  did  not  command 
the  Roman  soldier  to  desert  his  legion,  and  seek  another 
sphere  for  serving  God ;  but  he  exhorted  him  to  remain  in 
the  ranks,  and  conquer  there,  himself  He  did  not  condemn 
the  publican  for  gathering  taxes,  or  inveigh  against  the  honor 
and  respectability  of  his  occupation ;  but  he  sent  him  back 
to  his  work,  to  be  honest  in  it,  saying,  "  Exact  no  more  than 
that  which  is  appointed  you."  He  did  not  pamper  the 
pride  of  his  fellow-countrymen  by  alleging  that,  because  they 
were  Abraham's  children,  there  was  no  fear  of  them  ;  but  he 
set  them  all  face  to  face  with  the  law  of  God,  and  bade  each 
one  measure  himself  with  its  requirements.  And,  though 
men  were  thus  condemned  by  his  words,  and  made  to  trem- 
ble under  his  rebukes,  there  was  such  a  fascination  exerted 
by  him  that  they  could  not  stay  away  from  his  ministrations. 


lo  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

His  very  fidelity  attracted  them.  He  held  them  by  the 
stern  earnestness  of  his  "glittering  eye  ;"  so  that,  wherever 
he  moved  along  the  Jordan,  the  cities  emptied  themselves 
into  his  audience. 

In  connection  with  his  withering  exposure  of  prevailing 
sins,  and  giving  to  that  much  of  its  power  to  produce  imme- 
diate results,  he  made  proclamation  of  the  near  approach  of 
that  kingdom  to  which  all  the  prophets  of  the  nation  had 
borne  witness ;  and  he  seems  to  have  had  clearer  views  of 
its  nature  than  had  been  obtained  by  any  of  them.  He  was 
far,  indeed,  from  having  gained  such  a  perception  of  the 
character  of  Messiah's  mission  as  that  which  was  afterward 
enjoyed  by  Paul.  In  this  respect,  the  least  in  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  greater  than  he.  Yet  he  was  as  much  in  ad- 
vance of  the  prophets  of  the  Old  Testament,  as  the  morn- 
ing-star is  brighter  than  the  other  luminaries  in  the  train 
of  night.  To  him  the  Prince  of  the  new  kingdom  was  no 
mere  earthly  monarch  who  was  to  wield  the  sword  of  the 
world,  and  outrival  all  Roman  renown,  but  he  was  a  heav- 
enly visitant,  who  was  to  "  baptize  men  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  with  fire."  He  was  the  herald,  thus,  not  of  an  external 
revolution,  but  of  an  internal  and  spiritual  regeneration,  to 
be  accomplished  through  the  mission  of  the  coming  deliv- 
erer, and  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  into  men's  hearts. 

As  a  symbol  of  this  purification  which  the  great  expected 
one  was  to  make,  and  as  a  pledge  that  on  his  coming  they 
would  submit  themselves  to  his  spiritual  ablution,  he  called 
upon  his  hearers  to  receive  baptism  by  water  from  his  hands. 
The  Lord  was  at  hand !  And,  as  when  he  went  into  the 
Holy  of  Holies,  the  high-priest  was  careful  to  sanctify  him- 
self, so  he  would  have  them  prepare  to  meet  the  Messiah  by 
a  change  of  life  and  conduct,  of  which  the  fitting  emblem  was 
the  washing  of  their  bodies  with  water.  Hence  at  Bethabara, 
the  ford  of  Jordan,  where,  as  was  supposed,  the  tribes  had 


The  Ministry  of  John  the  Baptist.  ii 

crossed  under  Joshua,  and  where  the  waters  were  parted  by 
Elijah's  mantle,  there  was  a  constant  stream  of  penitents 
seeking  to  observe  this  new  and  striking  ordinance. 

But  among  these  there  were  some  who  were  drawn  into 
closer  fellowship  with  the  preacher  than  others.  Their 
hearts  were  stirred  more  deeply  than  those  of  others  by  his 
words.  New  ideals  were  set  before  them  by  his  instruc- 
tions. Their  consciences  were  quickened  by  his  appeals, 
so  that  they  became  almost  his  constant  attendants,  and  had 
for  him  that  romantic  affection  which  a  youth  always  con- 
ceives for  the  teacher  who  has  first  awakened  him  to  intel- 
lectual and  spiritual  life. 

In  this  inner  circle  of  the  Baptist's  disciples,  there  were 
two  young  men  belonging  to  the  fishing  village  of  Bethsaida, 
on  the  Lake  of  Galilee,  who  had  been  attracted  to  him  most 
probably  in  one  of  his  Galilean  tours,  and  had  remained  with 
him  so  long  as  the  season  kept  them  from  their  usual  labors  ; 
and  it  was  while  they  were  with  him  that  he  gave,  to  the  of- 
ficial deputation  who  came  to  ask  him  who  he  was,  that  re- 
markable answer  which  we  read  in  the  first  chapter  of  the 
fourth  gospel.  "  He  said,  I  am  the  voice  of  one  crying  in 
the  wilderness,  Make  straight  the  way  of  the  Lord,  as  said 
the  prophet  Esaias."  And  when  they  inquired  again  why  he 
baptized,  if  he  were  not  the  Christ,  he  replied,  "  I  baptize  with 
water :  but  there  standeth  one  among  you,  whom  ye  know 
not :  he  it  is,  who  coming  after  me,  is  preferred  before  me, 
whose  shoe's  latchet  I  am  not  worthy  to  unloose." 

It  seems  certain,  from  these  words,  that  Jesus  Christ  was 
at  the  moment  among  the  crowd  that  stood  around  the 
speaker ;  but  in  any  case,  on  the  following  day,  the  Baptist 
seeing  Jesus,  pointed  him  out  to  his  disciples,  saying,  "  Be- 
hold the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world  !"  On  the  same  occasion  he  told  them  how,  when  Je- 
sus presented  himself  for  baptism  at  his  hands,  he  had  the  as- 


12  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

surance  of  his  identity  given  to  him,  by  the  sight  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  descending  with  dove-like  motion  upon  him,  and  re- 
maining with  him,  and  by  the  hearing  of  a  voice  from  the  ex- 
cellent glory,  which  said,  "  This  is  my  beloved  son,  in  whom 
I  am  well  pleased."  This  statement,  we  may  be  sure,  was 
full  of  interest  to  all  who  heard  it;  but  it  produced  a  deep 
impression  on  the  two  fishermen  to  whom  we  have  alluded  ; 
for  when,  the  day  after,  pointing  to  the  same  stranger,  John 
said,  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  !"  they  followed  him  to  his 
home,  and,  after  spending  the  night  with  him,  and  becoming 
convinced  that  he  was  indeed  the  promised  Messiah,  they 
enrolled  themselves  among  his  disciples. 

In  these  two  Galilean  peasants  we  see  the  nucleus  of  the 
Christian  Church  ;  and  John,  having  in  them  introduced  the 
Bride  to  the  Bridegroom,  had  virtually  fulfilled  his  course. 
From  that  hour  onward  his  brightness  waned,  but  only  as  the 
lustre  of  the  morning-star  is  paled  by  the  light  of  opening 
day;  and  so  there  was  not  a  shade  of  either  envy  or  jeal- 
ousy in  his  heart.  "  He  must  increase,  but  I  must  decrease  " 
— these  were  his  noble  words;  "This  therefore  my  joy  is 
fulfilled" — that  was  his  noble  sentiment;  and  when,  for  his 
unflinching  reproof  of  iniquity  in  Herod's  household,  he  was 
cruelly  put  to  death,  his  disciples  showed  that  they  had  im- 
bibed their  master's  spirit,  for  they  "  took  up  his  body  and 
buried  it ;"  and,  as  the  most  appropriate  thing  to  do  next, 
"they  went  and  told  Jesus." 

Such  were  the  main  features  of  the  ministry  of  John  the 
Baptist.  The  circumstances  connected  with  his  birth,  and 
the  tragic  character  of  his  death,  lent  a  special  interest  to 
his  history  ;  but  it  was  the  character  of  the  man  himself  that 
gave  him,  under  God,  his  power.  He  was,  as  one  has  said, 
"  not  merely  a  prophet ;  he  was  ancient  prophecy  personified 
in  the  last  of  its  representatives,  and  appearing  on  the  thresh- 
old of  the  Gospel  history,  to  own  and  hail  the  Messiah,  of 


The  Ministry  of  John  the  Baptist.  13 

whom  in  all  ages  it  had  spoken."*  He  wrote  no  book  ;  he 
sung  no  songs.  His  book  was  himself;  his  sermons  were 
his  songs  ;  and  he  who  preached  repentance  was  himself  the 
sincerest  penitent,  even  as  he  who  proclaimed  Messiah's  ap- 
proach was  the  first  to  recognize  him  when  he  came. 

Yet,  unflinching  as  he  was  in  courage,  and  unwavering,  for 
the  most  part,  as  he  was  in  his  convictions,  he  was,  after  all, 
only  a  man.  Like  Elijah  in  so  many  other  respects,  he  was 
like  him  also  in  this,  that  he  had  his  "juniper- tree,"  beneath 
which  he  lay,  in  the  sadness  of  despondency.  Haply  he, 
too,  like  his  great  prototype,  expected  that  immediate  regen- 
eration of  all  things  was  to  follow  on  the  appearance  of  the 
Lord,  and  so,  when  he  discovered  that  things  went  on  much 
as  before,  he  was  discouraged,  and  sent  to  ask  Jesus,  "Art 
thou,  indeed,  he  that  should  come,  or  must  we  still  look  for 
another?"  But  that  was  only  a  momentary  eclipse.  In  a 
little  time  the  darkness  passed ;  and  though,  like  Moses,  he 
died  within  sight  of  the  promised  land,  he  was  soon  to  reap 
in  gladness  the  harvest  of  those  fields  which  he  had  sowed 
in  tears. 

The  Sabbath-school  child  of  to-day  knows  really  more 
concerning  Jesus  and  his  work  than  John  did.  Yet  none 
the  less  was  he  the  pioneer  of  the  Gospel.  He  stood  on  the 
lookout  in  the  laboring  ship,  as  she  crossed  the  troubled 
ocean,  and  was  the  first  to  cry  "  Land  ahead  !"  But  he  left 
the  continent  itself  unexplored.  Yet  it  were  as  absurd  to 
depreciate  him  for  that  as  it  would  be  to  reproach  Columbus 
because  he  did  not  add  the  geography  of  America  to  its  dis- 
covery.    Truly  has  the  poet  said  : 

"John,  than  which  man,  a  sadder  or  a  greater 
Not  till  this  day  has  been  of  woman  born  ; 
John,  like  some  iron  peak,  by  the  Creator 
Fired  with  the  red  glow  of  the  rushing  morn. 

*  Pressense,  "Jesus  Christ :  his  Life  and  Times,"  p.  213. 


14  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

This,  when  the  sun  shall  rise  and  overcome  it, 
Stands  in  his  shining  desolate  and  bare  ; 

Yet  not  the  less  the  inexorable  summit 
Flamed  him  his  signal  to  the  happier  air."* 

And  so  his  "well  done"  has  been  already  pronounced  by 
the  Judge  ere  yet  he  has  mounted  the  judgment-seat ;  for 
Jesus  said, "  He  was  a  burning  and  a  shining  light." 

But  now,  ere  we  turn  away  from  John,  to  enter  upon  the 
history  of  that  wayward  and  impulsive  apostle,  whose  broth- 
er was  one  of  these  whom  the  Baptist  introduced  to  Christ, 
let  us  see  if  we  can  carry  with  us  some  lessons  from  this  re- 
markable ministry,  which  may  be  valuable  to  us  in  our  pres- 
ent circumstances. 

We  may  learn,  in  the  first  place,  that  when  Jesus  is  about 
to  visit  a  community  in  his  saving  power,  his  coming  is  gen- 
erally preceded  by  loud  calls  to  repentance.  It  was  the 
special  mission  of  the  Baptist  to  unfold  the  majesty  of  the 
divine  law,  and  call  men  up  to  its  unerring  standard.  There- 
by they  discovered  how  sinful  they  had  become,  and  how 
helpless  they  were  to  regenerate  themselves.  Their  attempts 
at  reformation  revealed  to  them  their  spiritual  impotence, 
and  made  them  ready  to  welcome  that  Divine  Redeemer 
whose  special  gift  was  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The 
law  went  before  the  Gospel ;  for  the  knowledge  of  sin  must 
precede  the  appreciation  of  salvation  ;  and  as  it  was  in  the 
case  of  the  two  dispensations,  so  is  it  yet  in  those  instances 
of  genuine  revival  which  at  intervals  have  come  to  nations 
or  to  neighborhoods. 

In  some  form  or  other  still,  John  the  Baptist  comes  always 

to  foreherald  Christ.      Now,  he  takes  the  form  of  a  Luther, 

^    a  Latimer,  or  a  Knox,  and  with  scathing  eloquence,  or  plain, 


*  Frederick  W.  H.  Myers,  quoted  by  H.  R.  Reynolds,  D,D.,  in  "  John 
the  Baptist." 


The  Ministry  of  John  the  Baptist.  15 

blunt  sense  or  dauntless  courage,  he  exposes  prevalent  evils 
both  in  Church  and  State,  until  men's  hearts  fail  them  for 
fear,  and  they  cry,  "  What  must  we  do  to  be  saved  ?"  Again, 
he  comes  in  no  human  shape,  but  takes  the  form  of  some 
terrible  calamity — a  money  panic,  like  that  which  swept  over 
this  city  in  1857  ;  an  epidemic  of  cholera  or  yellow  fever; 
or  some  destructive  dispensation  of  Providence,  that  throws 
men  out  of  themselves,  and  sets  them,  all  uncovered  and 
open,  before  the  eyes  of  Him  with  whom  they  have  to  do. 
I  may  misread  greatly  the  signs  of  the  times,  yet  I  think  I 
recognize  John  the  Baptist  among  us  now.  We  can  not 
take  up  a  respectable  newspaper  without  reading  in  it  some 
call  to  repentance.  The  demand  it  makes  is  for  honesty,  for 
truth,  for  righteousness.  Its  most  pungent  political  articles 
read  only  like  so  many  variations  of  John's  sermons  to  the 
soldiers,  to  the  tax-gatherers,  and  to  the  Scribes  and  Phari- 
sees. Nay,  even  the  political  orator  is  calling  upon  the  oc- 
cupants of  our  pulpits  to  speak  plainly  to  their  fellow-men 
about  the  duties  of  every  day,  that  they  may  become  the 
conservators  of  the  republic.  What  does  it  all  mean  ?  It 
surely  means  that  John  the  Baptist  is  abroad,  and  that  he  is 
anew  the  herald  of  a  coming  Christian  revival.  Let  it  go 
on,  then ;  for  this  cry  for  reformation  is  an  aspiration  in- 
spired by  God  himself,  and  is  the  assurance  that  regenera- 
tion is  at  hand. 

We  may  learn,  in  the  second  place,  that  when  Jesus  comes 
to  a  place  in  saving  power,  his  presence  is  recognized  by 
the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  John  knew  that  Jesus  was 
the  coming  deliverer  when  he  saw  the  Holy  Ghost  like  a 
dove  coming  down  upon  him,  and  remaining  with  him.  Nor 
was  this  all :  the  Saviour  himself  was,  so  far,  at  least,  as  his 
human  nature  was  concerned,  prepared  for  his  ministry  of 
service  and  of  sacrifice  by  the  reception  of  the  Spirit.  As 
Neander  says, "  The  quiet  flight  and  the  resting  dove  be- 


1 6  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

tokened  no  sudden  seizure  of  the  Spirit,  but  a  uniform  un- 
folding of  the  life  of  God  ;  the  loftiness,  yet  the  calm  repose 
of  a  nature  itself  divine  ;  the  indwelling  of  the  Spirit,  so  that 
he  could  impart  it  to  others,  and  fill  them  completely  with 
it,  not  as  a  prophet  merely,  but  as  a  Creator."* 

Now,  as  the  descent  of  the  Spirit  upon  the  body  of  Christ 
was  the  token  that  he  was  the  Messiah,  so  the  sight  of  his 
body,  the  Church,  revived  by  the  power  and  effusion  of  the 
Spirit,  will  be  the  sign  to  the  world  that  its  wished-for  re- 
generation is  to  come  through  its  instrumentality.  Revival 
in  the  Church  must  precede  the  regeneration  of  the  world. 
Men  are  crying  out  for  a  return  to  uprightness  and  truth; 
but  they  will  not  acknowledge  that  this  is  to  be  effected 
through  the  Church  until  they  behold  a  revival  of  these  same 
qualities  in  professedly  Christian  people.  That  which  is 
needed  to  leaven  the  nation,  is  not  the  pseudo  principle, 
which  is,  alas !  too  common  in  the  Church,  but  the  real 
Spirit  of  Christ  living  and  w^orking  in  the  believer. 

I  think  it  would  be  easy  to  make  it  appear  that  in  all 
times,  when  skepticism  has  been  rampant,  and  morality  low 
outside  of  the  Church,  there  has  been  little  else  than  a  cold, 
negative  orthodoxy  within  the  Church  itself  It  was  so  in 
England  just  before  the  Wesleys  came  forth  preaching  re- 
pentance; and  if  to-day  there  is  a  revival  of  skepticism,  and 
an  increase  of  iniquity,  one  cause  may  be  found  in  the  Phar- 
iseeism  and  formality  that  are  so  prevalent  among  those  who 
"profess  and  call  themselves  Christians."  So,  if  we  wish  a 
blessing  for  the  nation,  we  must  cry  for  a  fresh  descent  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  upon  the  Church.  Oh,  for  that  baptism  of  fire, 
which  shall  impart  to  our  hearts  its  own  flaming  energy,  and 
consume  within  them  every  particle  of  sinful  chaff,  while  it 
consecrates  all  their  powers  to  the  service  of  the  Lord !    Let 

*  Neander's  "  Life  of  Christ,"  Bohn's  edition,  p,  71. 


The  Ministry  of  John  the  Baptist.  17 

the  Church  rise  to  its  highest  tidal  mark  in  purity,  in  prayer, 
in  self-sacrifice,  and  in  devotion,  and  the  blessing  will  over- 
flow the  nation  too. 

When  revival  is  mentioned,  we  who  believe  ourselves  to 
be  Christians  are  too  apt  to  think  of  others,  and  to  look  for 
the  appearance  of  quickening  in  them.  But  that  is  begin- 
ning at  the  wrong  end.  When  Christ  himself  went  forth  to 
his  ministry  of  salvation,  the  first  thing  he  did  was  to  open 
his  soul  for  the  reception  of  the  descending  Spirit.  Pente- 
cost began  by  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  disci- 
ples in  the  upper  room;  and  if  we  are  to  have  a  revival 
now,  it  will  come  only  when  you,  and  I,  and  all  the  members 
of  our  churches,  are  willing  to  be  ourselves  revived  by  the 
acceptance  of  this  burning  baptism.  Ay,  this  burning  bap- 
tism; for  it  burns  wherever  it  purifies:  it  brings  a  discipline, 
as  well  as  imparts  an  energy ;  and  he  who  would  possess 
its  power  must  submit  himself  to  its  scorching  flame.  Are 
3^ou  willing,  my  brother?  That  is  the  question  which  for 
you  lies  at  the  root  of  all  revival. 

We  may  learn,  in  the  third  place,  that  they  who  would  ex- 
perience Christ's  saving  power  must  accept  him  as  a  sacri- 
fice for  sin.  When  John  saw  Jesus,  he  said,  "Behold  the 
Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world !"  and 
as  he  was  not  only  a  Jew  brought  up  under  the  Mosaic  law^, 
but  a  priest,  or  at  least  the  son  of  a  priest  who  officiated  at 
the  altar,  this  language  in  his  lips  could  have  but  one  mean- 
ing. It  indicated  that  Jesus  Christ  was  to  be  the  great 
antetype  of  the  lamb  of  sacrifice;  and  that  what  was  only 
figurative  in  the  case  of  the  animal  was  real  and  true  in  his 
offering  of  himself  for  human  sin.  This  is  the  distinctive 
doctrine  of  the  Gospel ;  this  is  the  grand  significance  of  the 
cross  of  Christ;  and  he  who  would  really  experience  the 
salvation  which  is  in  Jesus  with  exceeding  joy,  must  re- 
gard  him   as   the  great  voluntary  victim  who  took   upon 


Peter,  the  Apostle. 


himself  the  burden  of  the  world's  sin,  and  nailed  it  to  his 
cross. 

If  we  are  to  have  revival,  this  is  what  our  ministers  must 
preach,  and  this  is  what  the  people  must  believe ;  for  the 
secret  of  evangelical  success  is  not  so  much  in  the  qualities 
of  the  preacher  as  in  the  matter  which  he  preaches.  Doubt- 
less Luther  was  a  great  man.  Yet,  in  his  day  there  were 
other  men  as  largely  dowered  with  intellectual  gifts  as  he ; 
but  none  of  them  performed  the  work  he  did,  because  none 
of  them  preached  the  sacrificial  character  of  the  death  of 
Christ  as  he  proclaimed  it.  Read  his  "Lectures  on  the 
Galatians,"  and  you  will  find  that  he  sets  forth  the  doctrine 
of  Christ's  substitution  in  the  room  of  the  sinner  in  the  most 
objective  form  j  and  iterates  and  reiterates  the  truth,  that  he 
was  made  sin  for  us  "who  knew  no  sin,  that  we  might  be 
made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him." 

Glance  over  the  sermons  of  Whitefield  and  the  Wesleys, 
and  you  will  be  struck  with  the  fact,  that  they  also  most 
emphatically  insisted  on  the  sacrificial  character  of  the 
death  of  Christ.  The  same  thing  is  seen  in  all  the  dis- 
courses of  Mr.  Spurgeon,  and  still  more  recently  in  the  ad- 
dresses of  Mr.  Moody.  And  is  not  an  induction  of  particu- 
lars like  these  warrant  enough  for  the  inference,  that  in  this 
particular  presentation  of  the  cross  of  Christ  lies  the  secret 
of  its  power  ?  It  was  when  Andrew  and  John  heard  of  Je- 
sus as  the  lamb  of  sacrifice  that  they  followed  him  to  his 
abode ;  and  wherever  this  aspect  of  Christ's  death  is  fairly 
and  fully  set  before  men,  multitudes  yet  will  be  stimulated 
to  become  his  disciples. 

That  was  a  strange  confession  which  an  influential  Uni- 
tarian layman  made  a  few  months  ago  in  Liverpool,  when,  at 
a  meeting  of  the  Domestic  Mission  of  the  church  to  which 
he  belonged,  he  said,  "  that  though  he  had  little  sympathy 
with  the  methods  they  adopted,  disliked  the  bad  taste  which 


The  Ministry  of  John  the  Baptist.  19 

they  evinced,  and  could  not  at  all  agree  with  the  doctrines 
which  they  preached,  yet  he  felt  bound  to  confess  that  Mr. 
Moody  and  Mr.  Sankey  had  in  one  short  month  effected 
more  among  the  masses  of  that  town,  in  the  way  of  reclaim- 
ing drunkards  and  reforming  prodigals,  than  he  and  those 
who  labored  with  him  had  accomplished  in  all  the  years 
during  which  they  had  been  at  work."  Alas!  he  did  not 
see  that  the  secret  of  the  power  of  these  men  was  their 
preaching  of  Christ  and  him  crucified,  in  that  very  sense  in 
which  he  and  those  who  acted  with  him  had  repudiated  the 
doctrine.  Let  us  be  assured,  therefore,  that  if  we  wish  re- 
vival we  must  obtain  it,  not  by  the  ventilation  of  novelties  in 
religion,  but  by  the  rebrightening  of  the  old  truth,  that  "Jesus 
died,  the  just  for  the  unjust,  that  he  might  bring  us  to  God." 

Let  us  learn,  finally,  that  wherever  Christ  is  present  in 
his  saving  power,  there  will  be  a  disposition  among  men  to 
merge  themselves  in  him.  John  would  not  let  any  one  put 
him  into  the  Master's  place  ;  and  even  when  some  came  to 
him  seeking  to  make  him  jealous  by  telling  him  of  the  pop- 
ularity of  Christ,  he  said,  "  He  must  increase,  but  I  must  de- 
crease." He  was  quite  willing  to  be  put  into  the  shade  by 
Jesus.  Nay,  that  is  far  from  being  a  right  way  of  expressing 
it.  His  one  desire  was  to  give  prominence  to  Christ,  and 
to  point  him  out  to  others.  And  in  this  respect  he  was  like- 
minded  with  the  Christian  apostles ;  for  Paul's  ambition  was 
that  Christ  should  be  magnified,  no  matter  what  became  of 
him. 

Brethren,  wherever  Christ  is  faithfully  preached  thus,  re- 
vival is  sure  to  come,  sooner  or  later ;  and  when  our  minis- 
ters shall  cease  to  strive  after  eloquence  as  an  end  in  itself, 
and  determine  only  to  hold  up  Christ  before  men's  eyes,  then 
they  shall  be  both  eloquent  and  successful ;  for  true  oratory 
comes  when  self  is  forgotten  in  the  eager  desire  of  the  heart 
to  brine:  souls  to  salvation. 


20  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

The  perfection  of  John's  wish  was  secured  when  thus  he 
succeeded  in  destroying  self.  That  is  the  lesson  of  John's 
ministry  for  the  pulpit  of  to-day ;  and  as  we  rise  from  the 
study  of  his  career,  we  can  not  forbear  joining  Keble,  in  his 
exclamation  : 

"  Where  is  the  lore  the  Baptist  taught — 

The  soul  unswerving,  and  the  fearless  tongue  ? 

The  much  enduring  wisdom  sought, 
By  lonely  prayer  the  haunted  rocks  among  ? 

Who  counts  it  gain  his  light  should  wane, 
So  the  whole  world  to  Jesus  throng. 

"  Thou  Spirit,  who  the  Church  didst  lend 

Her  eagle  wings,  to  shelter  in  the  wild, 
We  pray  thee,  ere  the  Judge  descend 

With  flames  like  these,  all  bright  and  undefiled, 
Her  watch-fires  light,  to  guide  aright 

Our  weary  souls,  by  earth  beguiled. 

"  So  glorious  let  thy  pastors  shine. 

That  by  their  speaking  lives  the  world  may  learn 
First  filial  duty,  then  divine  ; 

That  sons  to  parents,  all  to  thee,  may  turn  ; 
And  ready  prove,  in  fires  of  love 

At  sight  of  thee,  for  aye  to  burn  !" 


11. 

FINDING  AND  BRINGING, 

John  i.,  38-42. 

GREAT  things,  alike  in  nature  and  in  history,  have  come 
out  of  very  small  beginnings.  In  the  Mariposa  grove, 
the  traveler  looks  on  trees  three  hundred  feet  in  height,  yet 
each  of  these  sprung  from  a  seed  no  bigger  than  a  grain  of 
wheat;  and  the  noble  river, which  at  its  union  with  the  sea 
is  broad  enough  and  deep  enough  to  float  the  navy  of  a  na- 
tion on  its  waters,  is  at  its  source  a  tiny  rivulet  over  which  a 
child  might  stride.  Similarly,  the  germs  of  some  of  those 
movements  which  have  been  mightiest  for  good  or  evil  among 
men,  have  been  wrapped  up  in  some  apparently  trivial  thing. 
What,  for  example,  in  the  view  of  most  men  of  that  day,  could 
have  been  more  unimportant  than  the  interview  which  two 
fishermen  from  the  Lake  of  Galilee  had  with  one  who  for 
years  had  been  known  as  a  carpenter  at  Nazareth  ?  Yet  in 
that  conference  we  have  the  earthly  origin  of  the  Christian 
Church.  Here  is  the  seed  of  that  tree  which  has  filled  the 
nations  with  its  branches,  and  which  is  destined  yet  to  bless 
the  world  with  its  beneficent  fruits.  Nor  need  we  wonder 
at  the  proportions  to  which  it  has  attained,  for  one  of  these 
three  was  the  "  Word  "  who  "  was  God,"  and  "  became  flesh," 
that  he  might  deliver  men  from  the  curse  and  power  of  sin. 

The  other  two  were  John,  the  son  of  Zebedee,  and  An- 
drew, the  son  of  Jonas,  who  belonged  to  the  city  of  Beth- 
saida,  which  was  situated  on  the  northern  shore  of  the  Gali- 
lean lake,  near  the  entrance  of  the  river  Jordan  into  its  wa- 
ters.    There  they  had  been  brought  up  along  with  James, 


2  2  Peter,  the  Apostle. 


the  brother  of  John,  and  Simon,  the  brother  of  Andrew,  like 
other  Jewish  boys,  receiving  no  better  education  than  that 
which  was  common  among  the  great  body  of  the  people.  As 
they  grew  up,  they  gave  themselves  to  the  work  of  fishing, 
which  was  indeed,  as  its  name  (literally,  the  house  of  fish) 
implies,  the  great  industry  of  the  place.  It  is  probable,  too, 
that  by  their  industry  and  economy  they  had  built  up  a  very 
considerable  business ;  for  Zebedee  had  hired  servants,  and 
James  and  John  were  partners  with  Simon,  and  presumably 
also  with  Andrew.*  Hence,  though  they  were  by  no  means 
wealthy,  in  the  modern  sense  of  that  word,  they  w^ere  yet  in 
comfortable  circumstances,  and  had,  by  the  diligence  and  fru- 
gality of  their  lives,  raised  themselves  somewhat  above  the 
precarious  and  proverbial  uncertainty  of  the  fisherman's  lot. 

As  we  saw  in  our  last  lecture,  Andrew  and  John  followed 
with  deep  interest  the  stranger  whom  John  the  Baptist  had 
pointed  out  to  them  as  "the  Lamb  of  God."  Their  mas- 
ter's words  had  created  longings  in  their  hearts  which  he 
himself  could  not  satisfy.  He  was  constantly  calling  on 
them  to  make  ready  for  the  appearance  of  another  who  was 
greater  than  himself;  and  it  seemed  to  them,  from  the  de- 
scription he  had  given  them,  that  this  was  he.  So  they  went 
after  him,  until,  his  attention  being  directed  to  them  by  their 
evident  purpose  to  follow  him,  he  turned  and  said  to  them, 
"What  seek  ye?"  They  replied,  "Rabbi,  where  dwellest 
thou  ?"  and  as  he  cordially  answered,  "  Come  and  see,"  they 
went  with  him,  and  remained  beside  him  until  the  following 
morning. 

We  have  no  record  of  the  conversation  of  that  night. 
Doubtless  John  remembered  it  well ;  for  even  in  the  narra- 
tive which  he  has  given  there  are  minute  details,  such  as 
the  mention  of  the  hour,  which  indicate  that  the  whole  par- 

*  Mark  i.,  20  ;  I.uke  v.,  10. 


Finding  and  Bringing.  23 

ticulars  of  the  interview  were  present  to  his  recollection  ; 
but,  under  the  guidance  of  the  inspiring  Spirit,  he  has  with- 
held the  account  of  what  Jesus  said  to  them,  and  has  told 
us  only  the  result.  Was  it  because,  in  Christ's  dealings  with 
individual  souls,  there  are  always  passages  that  never  can  be 
fully  unfolded  to  others  ?  Was  it  that  in  this  incidental  way 
the  Author  of  the  sacred  Scriptures  would  discourage  the  at- 
tempt, so  often  made  in  these  days  without  discrimination, 
to  tell  all  the  confidences  that  pass  between  the  seeking  sin- 
ner and  his  Saviour  ?  We  can  not  tell ;  but  just  as  Paul  has 
given  us  no  description  of  what  occurred  between  him  and 
the  Master  during  those  three  days  of  darkness  in  Damas- 
cus, so  John  here  has  said  no  syllable  of  all  that  Jesus  spake 
to  him  and  Andrew  on  that  ever-memorable  night. 

But  in  the  words  of  Andrew  to  his  brother  we  have  the 
decided  expression  of  the  conviction  at  which  they  had  both  ,  ._;' 
arrived.  They  had  "  found  the  Messiah."  Now  their  long- //^^ 
ing  was  satisfied.  Now  their  search  was  ended.  Now  the 
discord  of  their  hearts  was  hushed  to  peace,  and  joy  unutter- 
erable  and  divine  had  filled  their  souls.  This,  of  course, 
they  could  not  keep  to  themselves  ;  for  joy  is  ever  diffusive 
in  its  nature.  So  Andrew's  first  care  was  to  "  find  his  own 
brother  Simon ;"  and  when  he  introduced  him  to  Jesus,  the 
Lord  met  him  with  these  words,  wherein  cordiality  and 
prophecy  were  combined,  "Thou  art  Simon  the  son  of  Jo- 
nas :  thou  shalt  be  called  Cephas." 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  Evangelist,  in  recording 
this  statement,  designs  to  give  us  the  impression  that  Jesus 
knew  by  divine  insight  the  character  of  Peter,  even  as,  at 
the  close  of  the  chapter  in  which  this  history  is  recorded,  he 
gives  us  the  same  idea  in  regard  to  the  Saviour's  words  to 
Nathanael ;  and  the  substitution  of  Cephas  for  the  commoner 
name  of  Simon,  not  only  betokened  what  Jesus  would  yet 
make  of  the  son  of  Jonas,  but  also  indicated  that  he  clearly 


24  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

understood  wherein  the  weakness  of  Simon's  character  lay. 
There  was,  therefore,  in  his  words  a  meaning  which  would  go 
-/  right  to  the  heart  of  Simon,  and  reveal  to  him,  as  by  a  light- 
ning-flash, the  great  want  of  his  nature.  Physically  strong, 
he  was  yet  not  strong  enough  spiritually  to  control  himself; 
and  so,  by  this  change  of  name,  the  Saviour  indicated  to  him 
that,  from  his  attachment  to  himself,  he  would  partake  of 
those  spiritual  influences  by  which  he  would  be  enabled,  in 
spite  of  the  vacillations  of  his  impulsive  disposition,  to  hold 
with  persevering  grasp  the  faith  which  he  now  embraced.* 
Every  true  believer  is  a  stone  to  be  built  into  the  living  Tem- 
ple, which  is  in  process  of  erection  through  the  ages,  for  "  an 
habitation  of  God  through  the  Spirit  j"  but  Simon,  naturally 
/  unstable,  was,'by  the  grace  of  God,  to  become  so  conspicuous 
for  his  steadfastness,  that  he  would  be  at  length  the  stone 
'nearest  to,  and  resting  on,  the  foundation  whereon  the 
Church  is  built. 

Such  was  the  first  interview  between  the  Master  and  him 
who  was  to  be  the  Apostle  of  the  Circumcision.  And  taken 
with  its  surroundings  in  this  beautiful  history,  it  is  fraught 
with  most  valuable  lessons  for  our  modern  life.  We  shall 
pick  up  only  the  more  prominent  and  suggestive. 

Notice,  then,  in  the  first  place,  the  attitude  of  the  Saviour 
to  the  inquirer.  When  Jesus  turned  and  saw  Andrew  and 
John  following  him,  he  said,  "What  seek  ye?"  And  again, 
when  they  asked  him,  "  Where  dwellest  thou  ?"  he  replied, 
"  Come  and  see."  The  Lord  had  nothing  to  conceal.  He 
was  willing  to  receive  every  one  who  came  to  him,  and 
ready  to  submit  his  claims  and  his  salvation  to  the  investi- 
gation of  the  sincere  examiner.  And  he  is  so  still.  True, 
he  is  now  upon  the  throne  of  the  universe,  head  over  his 
Church,  and  head  over  all  things  to  his  Church,  but  he  is 

*  See  Fairbairn's  "  Imperial  Bible  Dictionary,"  article  Peter. 


Finding  and  Bringing.  25 

still  as  tender  and  loving  toward  seeking  souls  as  he  was 
that  day  to  John  and  Andrew  by  the  banks  of  the  Jordan. 
Exaltation  has  changed  many  men's  hearts,  and  turned 
many  men's  heads ;  so  that  full  often  the  chief  butler  in  the 
day  of  his  prosperity  forgets  the  Joseph  to  whom,  in  the 
season  of  his  adversity,  he  had  been  deeply  indebted.  But 
what  Jesus  was  on  earth  to  inquiring  sinners,  that  is  he  still 
in  heaven.  Still  does  he  say,  "Come  unto  me  all  ye  that 
labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest."  Still 
does  he  invite  the  timid  seeker  to  "  come  and  see  "  the  rich 
provision  which  he  has  made  for  every  soul's  necessity.  Still 
does  he  call  upon  the  needy  everywhere,  "  Oh,  taste  and  see 
that  the  Lord  is  good ;  blessed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in 
him." 

Nay,  we  may  widen  the  application  of  this  principle,  and 
say  that  we  have  here  the  attitude  of  the  Gospel  toward  all. 
It  has  nothing  to  fear  from  the  fullest  investigation.  It  sub- 
mits all  its  claims  to  the  test  of  experiment.  It  says,  "Come 
and  see."  This  is  what  Philip  said  to  the  prejudiced  Na- 
thanael ;  this  is  what  the  woman  of  Samaria  said  to  the  men 
of  her  city,  who  knew  not  whether  she  had  not  become  in- 
sane ;  this  is  what  the  Christian  of  to-day  says  to  the  men 
of  learning,  who  are  continually  speaking  of  difficulties  in 
the  way  of  their  believing  in  Jesus  :  I  know  nothing  of 
your  scientific  discoveries  ;  your  perplexities  about  the  su- 
pernatural ;  your  hesitancies  concerning  the  authenticity  of 
these  sacred  books ;  but  I  do  know  that  Jesus  Christ  has 
given  peace  to  my  conscience,  happiness  to  my  heart,  purity 
to  my  life,  and  the  elasticity  of  inspiration  to  my  whole  be- 
ing. Come  and  see  if  he  will  not  do  the  same  for  you  as 
he  has  done  for  me.  Come ;  for  it  may  be  that  there  is  a 
learning  above  your  lore,  and  a  science  above  your  earthly 
philosophy.  The  test  is  in  the  trial.  You  are  always  talk- 
ing of  experiments  ;  why  refuse  to  make  this  one  ? 

2 


26  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

"  Oh,  make  but  trial  of  his  love  : 
Experience  will  decide. 
How  blest  are  they,  and  only  they, 
"Who  in  his  truth  confide." 

Notice,  in  the  second  place,  that  it  is  a  great  thing  when  a 
man  "  finds  "  Christ.  Now,  in  working  out  this  thought,  we 
must  have  a  clear  idea  of  what  we  mean  by  "finding"  Christ. 
Andrew  and  John  were  in  visible  and  bodily  contact  with 
Jesus,  and  it  might  seem,  therefore,  that  it  was  an  easier 
thing  to  come  to  Christ  when  he  was  on  earth,  than  it  is 
now,  when  he  is  enthroned  in  heaven.  But  that  is  a  mis- 
take. Many  came  to  converse  with  him  when  he  lived  in 
the  world,  who  yet  failed  to  find  the  Saviour  in  him.  Multi- 
tudes might  be  pushed  into  contact  with  him  that  day  when 
the  poor  woman  timidly  sought  a  cure  by  touching  his 
clothes ;  but  it  was  to  her  alone  that  he  referred  when  he 
said,  "  Somebody  hath  touched  me."  Therefore,  the  contact 
in  her  case  must  have  been  something  more  than  physical, 
and  could  be  nothing  else  than  the  application  of  her  soul 
to  him  in  simple  faith  for  healing. 

In  like  manner,  the  finding  of  the  Messiah  by  Andrew  and 
John  must  have  been  something  else  than  their  coming  into 
conversation  with  him,  and  could  be  nothing  less  than  a 
description  of  the  fact  that  they  were  intellectually  con- 
vinced that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  the  promised  Messiah, 
and  were  sincerely  willing  to  accept  him  as  their  Saviour 
and  guide. 

But  the  presence  of  Jesus  in  actual  humanity  before  us  is 
not  essential  to  the  exercise  of  such  confidence  as  that;  and 
so  soon  as  a  man  becomes  convinced  that  Jesus  Christ  came 
into  the  world  to  save  sinners,  and  is  willing  to  accept  salva- 
tion at  his  hands,  he  "finds"  Christ  just  as  truly  as  he  was 
found  by  Andrew  and  John,  as  recorded  in  this  section  of 
the  sacred  narrative.      Now,  when  a   man  "finds"   Christ 


Finding  and  Bringing.  27 

thus,  it  is  for  him  the  greatest  event  in  his  life,  dominating 
and  directing  every  after-circumstance  in  his  career. 

How  much  the  history  of  the  world  has  been  affected  by 
the  discoveries  which  men  have  made !  Take  a  few.  The 
discovery  of  America;  the  invention  of  printing;  the  discov- 
ery of  the  power  of  steam,  and  the  manifold  application  of 
the  steam-engine  ;  the  invention  of  the  telegraph  :  who  shall 
say  how  much  all  these  have  done  for  the  progress  of  civili- 
zation ?  But  put  them  all  together,  they  have  not  done  so 
great  things  for  the  world  at  large  as  the  discovery  of  Christ 
does  for  every  soul  that  "  finds  "  him.  It  opens  up  a  whole 
new  world  for  his  exploration  ;  it  enstamps  a  new  name  and 
nature  upon  his  heart ;  it  brings  him  under  the  influence 
of  a  motive  principle  which  "laughs  at  impossibilities,"  and 
removes  mountains ;  and  it  gives  him  a  means  of  communi- 
cation with  the  unseen  as  real,  as  mysterious,  and  as  imme- 
diate as  that  hidden  cable  whereon  the  messages  of  two  hem- 
ispheres vibrate  in  response  to  each  other.  It  relieves  his 
conscience  from  the  weight  of  guilt ;  it  elevates  his  intellect ; 
it  purifies  his  affections ;  it  forms  his  character ;  it  gives  a 
new  aim  to  his  life  and  a  new  centre  to  his  heart,  and  brings 
him  so  under  the  constraining  influence  of  the  love  of  Christ, 
that,  while  retaining  the  great  outstanding  marks  of  his  indi- 
viduality, he  may  yet  truly  be  said  to  be  a  new  man.  See 
how  this  comes  out  in  Paul.  Converted  or  unconverted,  the 
man  of  Tarsus  would  still  have  been  a  leader  of  his  fellows. 
But  mark  how,  after  he  has  found  Christ,  his  whole  being 
goes  into  a  new  direction,  and  becomes  transfigured  and  en- 
nobled by  the  change.  His  energy  becomes  sublimed,  his 
ambition  purified,  his  nature  elevated.  Behold,  also,  how  it 
appears  in  Peter !  What  a  contrast  between  the  fisherman 
and  the  Apostle !  And  how  much  this  discovery  of  Christ 
made  by  him,  through  Andrew's  guidance,  did  to  give  him 
character  and  influence  among  men  !     Had  he  never  found 


28  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

the  Messiah,  who  had  ever  heard  his  name  ?  But  from  this 
hour  he  begins  to  be  illustrious  !  Said  I  not  truly,  therefore, 
that  it  is  a  great  thing  when  a  man  finds  Christ?  It  is  in- 
deed the  very  greatest  thing  for  safety,  for  happiness,  for  use- 
fulness, for  honor,  that  can  be  said  of  any  man,  when  it  is  af- 
firmed of  him  that  he  has  found  Christ.  My  hearer,  can  it 
be  truly  said  of  you  ? 

Notice,  thirdly,  that  when  a  man  has  found  Christ,  he 
ought  to  bring  others  to  Jesus.  The  first  thing  Andrew  did 
was  to  tell  to  another  the  good  news  which  had  already 
thrilled  his  own  heart.  So  Philip,  as  recorded  in  this  same 
chapter,  found  Nathanael,  and  repeated  the  same  news  to 
him.  Indeed,  it  is  quite  worthy  of  note  how  often  this  "find- 
ing" occurs  in  this  delightful  narrative.  Andrew  "findeth" 
Messiah  ;  then  he  "  findeth  "  his  brother.  Jesus  "  findeth  " 
Philip;  and  Philip  "findeth"  Nathanael.  So  that,  as 
Trench  has  beautifully  said,  in  allusion  to  the  well-known 
exclamation  of  Archimedes  in  connection  with  one  of  his 
discoveries,  this  "  is  the  chapter  of  the  Eurekas."*  "  I  have 
found  him  !  I  have  found  him  !"  Indeed,  the  promptings  of 
one's  own  nature  here  are  in  perfect  accordance  with  the 
commands  of  the  Lord  ;  for  we  can  not  but  tell  to  others  the 
tidings  which  have  made  us  glad ;  and  in  proportion  to  the 
happiness  which  they  have  produced  in  us  will  be  our  ea- 
gerness to  make  others  sharers  with  us  in  our  delight.  As 
Matthew  Henry  says  here,  "  True  grace  hates  all  monopolies, 
and  loves  not  to  eat  its  morsels  alone."  The  woman  of  Sa- 
maria ran  to  tell  her  towns-people  of  the  great  Messiah,  and 
the  disciples  who  were  scattered  abroad  by  the  first  persecu- 
tion "  went  everywhere  preaching  the  Word."  The  command 
is,  "  Let  him  that  heareth  say,  Come !"  and  every  Christian 
should  become  thus  a  missionary  of  the  Cross.     Indeed,  we 

*  "  Studies  in  the  Gospels,"  p.  67. 


Finding  and  Bringing.  29 

have  not  rightly  heard,  if  there  is  not  within  us  an  impulse 
to  say  "  Come."  If  there  be  no  enthusiasm  within  us  for  the 
diffusion  of  the  Gospel,  or  the  conversion  of  sinners,  we  make 
it  only  too  apparent  that  we  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ ; 
but  if  our  souls  are  stirred  at  the  sight  of  our  perishing 
fellow-men,  and  our  hearts  prompt  us  to  make  efforts  for 
their  salvation,  we  prove  that  we  are  in  sympathy  with 
those  celestial  beings  among  whom  there  is  "joy  over 
one  sinner  that  repenteth,"  and  that  the  same  mind  is 
in  us  which  was  in  him  who  died  that  men  might  be  re- 
deemed. 

"As  ye  go,  preach."  "Go  into  all  the  world,  and  preach 
the  Gospel  to  every  creature."  These  are  what  the  Great 
Duke  once  styled  "  the  marching  orders  "  of  believers  ;  and 
it  is  at  our  peril,  if  we  refuse  to  carry  them  out.  But  when 
the  word  "preach"  is  used,  let  us  beware  of  supposing  that 
we  need  all  the  outward  accessories  of  a  crowded  congrega- 
tion and  a  modern  church,  in  order  to  obey  this  command. 
The  meaning  simply  is,  that  we  should  tell  the  good  news 
as  we  have  opportunity.  We  may  "preach"  by  conversing 
with  our  friend  as  we  walk  down  with  him  to  business  in  the 
morning,  or  by  an  incidental  remark  introduced,  not  obtru- 
sively or  impertinently,  but  naturally  and  lovingly,  as  we 
talk  with  our  fellow-traveler  in  the  steamboat  or  in  the  rail- 
way car ;  or  by  the  giving  of  an  interesting  volume  that  con- 
tains the  truth  to  some  ingenuous  youth  upon  his  birthday ; 
or  by  repeating  at  the  couch  of  some  sick  one  the  leading 
portions  of  a  sermon  which  we  have  just  heard  in  the  sanct- 
uary ;  or  by  teaching  a  class  in  the  Sabbath-school ;  or  by 
bringing  a  friend  with  us  to  the  church  where  we  know  that 
the  faithful  preacher  wall  be  sure  to  have  some  word  that 
will  point  out  the  way  to  the  Cross ;  or  even,  without  a  word 
at  all,  we  may  preach  the  most  eloquent  and  powerful  of  all 
sermons,  by  simply  living  for  Jesus  where  we  are.     There  is 


30  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

a  sphere  for  every  one  ;  and  none  can  claim  exemption  from 
this  great  Gospel  law,  "As  ye  go,  preach." 

But  who  would  desire  exemption  when  there  is  so  great 
need  for  the  exertions  of  all  ?  See  how  earnest  the  apostles 
of  evil  are  to  allure  men  to  destruction,  through  one  or  other 
of  the  several  avenues  that  lead  to  death  ;  and  shall  we  be 
less  eager  to  labor  for  their  salvation  ?  Behold  how  inde- 
fatigable are  the  endeavors  of  those  who  live  to  spread 
abroad  the  news  of  every  day !  What  telegraphic  agencies 
they  use  to  bring  to  this  one  centre  the  record  of  important 
occurrences  the  world  over !  What  magnificent  machinery 
they  employ  to  multiply  the  number  of  impressions  of  their 
journals  !  And  how  eager  they  are  to  send  forth  their 
messengers  in  the  gray  morning  twilight,  to  leave  at  every 
door  their  daily  photographs  of  God's  providence  as  it  re- 
veals itself  to  their  eyes — alas !  not  always  clear  enough  to 
read  it  right.  Shall  they  be  so  enthusiastic  about  the  news 
of  earth,  and  we  be  inactive  with  the  better  news  of  the  Gos- 
pel ?  It  is  told  of  the  commentator  Thomas  Scott  that,  as  he 
went  to  preach  at  a  church  in  Lothbury  at  six  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  he  used  to  observe  that,  if  at  any  time  in  his  early 
walk  he  was  tempted  to  complain,  the  sight  of  the  newsmen, 
equally  alert,  and  for  a  very  different  object,  changed  his  re- 
pining into  thanksgiving.  So,  every  time  we  take  up  a  news- 
paper, let  us  feel  reproved  for  our  remissness  in  telling  the 
good  news  of  God's  salvation  to  our  fellow-men  ;  let  us  be 
stirred  up  to  self-sacrifice  and  devotion  in  this  glorious  cause, 
and  let  us  resolve  to  do  our  utmost  in  bringing  others  to 
the  Saviour  whom  we  have  found  for  ourselves. 

Notice,  in  the  fourth  place,  that,  in  seeking  to  bring  others 
to  Jesus,  we  should  begin  with  those  most  intimately  con- 
nected with  us.  Andrew  went  first  to  find  Simon,  his  "  own 
brother."  In  like  manner,  Philip  sought  his  friend  Nathanael. 
And  the  Lord  Jesus  himself  laid  down  the  same  general  law 


Finding  and  Bringing.  31 

when  he  commissioned  his  disciples  to  preach  repentance 
and  the  remission  of  sins  "  among  all  nations,  beginning  at 
Jerusalem."  Now,  this  is  a  point  of  pre-eminent  importance  ; 
for  among  those  who  really  desire  to  be  useful  in  the  world 
the  idea  is  too  common,  that  they  must  go  somewhere  else 
than  where  they  are  in  order  to  find  their  proper  and  peculiar 
work.  They  look  so  far  away,  and  so  high  up,  for  a  mission- 
field,  that  they  overlook  the  work  that  is  already  waiting  for 
them  just  at  their  feet.  Thus,  while  professing  to  be  eager  for 
labor,  they  are  standing  in  the  market-place,  "  all  the  day  idle.." 
In  spiritual  activity,  as  in  all  other  matters,  it  is  a  good 
rule  to  begin  at  the  beginning.  How  many,  in  trying  to 
learn  some  of  the  sciences — say  geology,  for  example— -have 
disdained  the  use  of  hand-books  for  the  mastering  of  the  el- 
ements, and,  plunging  at  once  into  some  elaborate  treatise, 
which  presupposed  familiar  acquaintance  with  the  rudiments, 
have  felt  themselves  unable  to  understand  it,  and  have  thrown 
up  the  whole  study  in  disgust !  Now,  it  is  just  thus  many  do 
in  Christian  work.  They  begin  at  the  wrong  place,  and  so 
they  speedily  become  discouraged.  Work  from  the  centre 
out,  and  the  radii  of  your  influence  will  go  out  to  every  point 
of  the  circumference  ;  but  if,  leaving  your  own  proper  centre, 
you  take  your  station  somewhere  on  the  circumference,  your 
labor  will  produce  very  little  result.  Now,  home  is  the  cen- 
tre of  every  man's  sphere ;  and  it  is  there  he  must  begin  to 
work  for  Jesus.  Let  the  husband  begin  with  the  wife,  and 
the  wife  with  the  husband ;  the  parents  with  the  children  ; 
and  the  children,  where  need  is,  lovingly  and  humbly,  with 
the  parents  ;  the  brother  with  his  sister ;  and  the  sister  with 
her  brother.  Then,  when  the  home  sphere  is  filled  up,  let 
your  life's  influence  flow  over,  and  seek  to  benefit  those  with 
whom  you  are  coming  into  daily  business  contact.  Thus 
the  branches  of  your  vine  will  "  run  over  the  wall,"  and  your 
sphere  will  widen  ever  with  your  endeavors. 


32  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

"  Oh  yes  !"  you  will  say  to  me,  "that  may  be  all  very  true. 
But  it  is  far  more  difficult  thus  to  begin  at  home  than  to 
commence  abroad.  I  would  rather  teach  a  class  in  the  mis- 
sion-school than  speak  to  my  own  family  about  Jesus.  I 
would  almost  sooner  address  a  meeting  than  make  a  private 
appeal  to  my  brother  or  my  sister."  But  why  is  that?  Sure- 
ly it  can  not  be  because  you  love  those  who  are  nearest  to 
you  less  than  you  do  those  who  are  farther  away !  Can 
it  be  because  you  would  get  more  prominence  and  honor 
among  men,  by  working  abroad,  than  you  could  secure  by 
laboring  at  home  ?  Or  is  it  because  you  are  conscious  that 
your  home  conduct  would  destroy  the  influence  of  any  teach- 
ings on  which  you  might  venture  there?  You  know  best. 
But  whatever  be  its  cause,  let  me  beseech  you  to  revise  your 
whole  procedure,  and  make  home  the  head-quarters  of  your 
effort.  Can  it  be  that  there  are  here  a  wife  and  husband 
who  have  never  had  one  hour  of  heart  communion  with  each 
other  on  this  all-important  matter  ?  If  there  be,  may  God 
himself  in  some  way  break  that  silence  that  has  sealed  their 
tongues ;  and  let  us  all  rest  assured  that  the  truest  revival 
of  religion  will  be  gained  when  our  church  members  are  re- 
solved to  test  what  shall  be  the  result  of  beginning  to  labor 
thus  for  Christ  at  home. 

We  are  making  far  too  little  in  these  days  of  the  Church 
in  the  house.  We  are  waiting  for  our  children  to  be  con- 
verted by  outside  influences,  when,  if  we  were  to  look  at  the 
matter  rightly,  it  should  be  our  ambition  to  be  ourselves  the 
leaders  of  our  sons  and  daughters  to  the  Lord.  Some  years 
ago  I  read  an  account  of  the  manner  in  which  a  cold  church 
was  stirred  into  warmth  and  vitality ;  and  as  it  bears  direct- 
ly on  the  point  to  which  I  am  now  referring,  I  will  take  the 
liberty  of  introducing  it  here.  At  one  of  the  conference 
meetings,  a  simple  man,  not  remarkable  for  fluency  or  cor- 
rectness of  speech,  made  an  appeal  something  to  the  follow- 


Finding  and  Bringing.  ^^ 

ing  effect :  "  I  feel,  brethren,  real  bad  about  the  people  who 
don't  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  here  in  our  own  neighbor- 
hood. We're  not  as  we  ought  to  be,  that's  very  certain,  but 
it's  hard  work  rowing  against  the  stream.  We  find  that  out 
when  we  talk  to  men  about  religion  on  Sunday  who  haven't 
any  religion  all  the  week.  They  don't  mind  us.  And  just 
so  with  the  young  folks.  Their  minds  all  seem  running  one 
way.  Now,  what's  to  be  done?  Not  much  with  the  grown 
folks,  for  they  aren't  controlled  by  us,  and  we  can  only  drop 
a  word  now  and  then,  and  pray  for  them.  But  here's  our 
own  children.  I  have  four  boys,  and  only  one  of  them 
comes  to  the  communion  with  his  mother  and  me.  And  I 
don't  think  I  have  done  my  duty  to  those  younger  boys. 
They  love  me,  and  God  knows  I  love  them ;  but  I  kind  o' 
hate  to  speak  to  them  about  religion.  But  rather  than  see 
them  go  farther  without  my  Jesus  for  their  Jesus,  I'm  going 
to  ask  them  to  join  him.  I'm  going  to  pray  with  them  ;  and 
if  I  can't  tell  them  all  they  want  to  know,  why,  our  minister 
can.  Brethren,  I'm  going  to  try  to  turn  the  stream  for  my 
boys.  Home  is  the  head  of  the  river.  I  mean  to  begin  to- 
night. Won't  some  father  do  like  me  with  his  boys,  and 
give  me  his  word  out?"  Scarcely  had  he  seated  himself, 
when,  one  after  another,  some  thirty  people  pledged  them- 
selves, saying,  "  I'll  do  the  same  at  my  house ;"  and  the 
pledge  was  kept.  In  a  short  time  the  minister's  labors  be- 
gan to  tell  as  they  had  never  done  before.  The  influence 
spread,  but  there  was  no  excitement.  On  the  occasion  of 
the  communion -service,  from  family  after  family,  one  and 
another  came  to  enroll  themselves  among  the  followers  of 
Jesus,  and  nearly  every  one  that  came  was  under  twenty-five 
years  of  age.  So,  through  revived  home  effort,  the  work  of 
God  was  stimulated  both  in  the  church  and  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. My  friends,  this  witness  is  true,  "  Home  is  the  head 
of  the  river."     Is  there  no  one  here  to-night  who  will  join  in 

2* 


34  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

the  resolution  made  by  that  earnest  man,  and  say,  "  By  the 
grace  of  God,  I'll  do  the  same  at  my  house  ?" 

Notice,  finally,  that  in  following  this  plan  of  working  for 
Christ  we  may,  all  unconsciously  to  ourselves,  be  the  means 
of  introducing  to  Jesus  one  who  will  be  of  far  more  service 
than  ever  we  could  have  been.  It  was  Simon  Peter  whom 
Andrew  brought  to  Christ.  We  do  not  hear  much  in  the 
New  Testament  of  Andrew's  after  -  history,  but  if  he  had 
never  done  any  thing  else  than  lead  his  brother  to  the  Lord, 
it  was  worth  living  for  just  to  do  that ;  and  when  we  get  to 
heaven,  we  shall  see  that  the  lustre  of  Peter's  crown  casts 
special  radiance  on  Andrew's  face.  When  we  read  of  the 
conversions  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost ;  of  the  heroic  protest 
before  the  council ;  of  the  conversion  of  Cornelius ;  and 
above  all,  when  we  peruse  those  two  precious  letters  which 
Peter  has  indited,  let  us  not  forget  that,  humanly  speaking, 
but  for  Andrew,  Peter  would  not  have  been  himself  a  Chris- 
tian. Doubtless,  God  could  have  called  him  by  some  other 
instrumentality,  but  he  made  use  of  Andrew  to  teach  us  the 
lesson  that,  in  doing  the  good  that  lies  at  our  hands,  we  may 
at  length  really  do  more  for  the  Church  than  we  could  have 
effected  by  more  ostentatious  effort  in  other  places.  Let 
the  lowly  and  timid,  therefore,  take  courage.  They  may 
not  have  shining  talents  or  commanding  position,  yet  by 
working  where  they  are  they  may  be  honored  in  bringing  to 
Jesus  some  who  shall  take  foremost  places  in  the  Church, 
or  become  leaders  in  some  missionary  or  evangelistic  move- 
ment. 

Many  of  the  greatest  men  the  Church  has  known  have 
been  converted  through  the  agency  of  individuals  all  but 
unknown.  A  humble  dissenting  minister,  whose  name  was 
scarcely  heard  of  a  few  miles  from  his  manse,  was  honored 
to  be  of  signal  service  to  Thomas  Chalmers  in  the  crisis- 
hour  of  his  history ;  and  I  have   heard  Mr.  Spurge  on  tell 


Finding  and  Bringing.  35 

how  he  was  led  to  the  Lord  by  a  sermon  preached  by  an 
unlettered  man  in  a  Primitive  Methodist  chapel. 

Some  of  the  greatest  theologians  the  Church  has  ever 
seen,  and  some  of  the  most  useful  ministers  who  have  ever 
lived,  have  been  made  and  molded  by  so  common  a  thing 
as  a  mother's  influence.  Robert  Pollok,  whose  "  Course  of 
Time  "  used  to  be  a  household  book  throughout  Scotland, 
said  once  of  his  poem,  "It  has  my  mother's  divinity  in  it." 
Mother,  will  you  take  note  of  that .?  Many  a  time  you  have 
regretted  that  you  could  not  take  part  in  any  public  work  for 
Christ,  by  reason  of  the  bond  that  held  you  to  your  boy.  Re- 
gret no  more,  but  bring  that  boy  to  Christ,  and  he  will  live 
to  do  his  own  work  and  his  mother's  too ;  and  when  the 
crown  is  placed  upon  his  head  its  diamonds  will  flash  new 
glory  upon  your  countenance. 

The  sum  of  what  we  have  been  saying,  then,  is  this  :  that 
each  of  us  should  begin  to  do  all  that  he  can,  where  he  is, 
for  Christ.  But  if  we  would  succeed  in  that  effort,  we  must 
be  sure  that  we  have  already  found  him  for  ourselves.  A 
minister  had  preached  a  simple  sermon  upon  the  text,  "  He 
brought  him  to  Jesus ;"  and  as  he  was  going  home,  his 
daughter,  walking  by  his  side,  began  to  speak  of  what  she 
had  been  hearing.  She  said, "  I  did  so  like  that  sermon." 
"Well,"  inquired  her  father,  "whom  are  you  going  to  bring 
to  Jesus  ?"  A  thoughtful  expression  came  upon  her  counte- 
nance as  she  replied,  "  I  think,  papa,  that  I  will  just  bring 
myself  to  him."  "Capital!"  said  her  father;  "that  will  do 
admirably  for  a  beginning."  This,  brethren,  is  the  true 
starting-point.  We  must  be  good,  if  we  would  do  good. 
Bring  yourselves  to  Jesus,  therefore ;  and,  as  iron  by  being 
rubbed  upon  a  magnet,  becomes  itself  magnetic,  so  you,  be- 
ing united  to  Christ,  will  become  partakers  in  his  attractive 
power,  and  will  draw  men  with  "  the  cords  of  a  man,"  which 
are  also  "the  bands  of  love." 


III. 

FISHERS  OF  MEN. 
Luke  v.,  i-ii  ;  Matthew  iv.,  18-22 ;  Mark  ii.,  16-20. 

MANY  things  in  the  ministry  of  Jesus  had  occurred 
between  that  day  on  which  Simon  Peter  had  been 
introduced  to  him  by  Andrew,  and  this  on  which,  from  his 
boat-pulpit  on  the  Lake  of  Galilee,  he  addressed  the  multi- 
tudes that  lined  its  banks.  From  the  scene  of  John's  bap- 
tism on  the  river  Jordan,  the  Master,  accompanied  by  some 
of  those  who  had  cast  in  their  lot  with  him,  repaired  to  Gal- 
ilee, where  he  signalized  his  entrance  upon  public  life  by 
performing  the  miracle  of  turning  water  into  wine.  Thence 
he  went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  keep  the  Passover,  and  while 
there  he  drove  the  traders  from  the  Temple,  and  wrought 
many  marvelous  works.  It  was  at  this  time,  also,  that  he 
received  Nicodemus  by  night,  and  had  with  him  that  im- 
portant interview  described  by  the  fourth  Evangelist. 

From  Jerusalem,  the  Lord  passed  into  the  rural  districts 
of  Judea  ;  but  learning  there  that  the  faithful  Baptist  had  been 
bast  into  prison  by  Herod,  he  returned  to  Galilee,  taking 
Siamaria  on  his  way,  and  meeting  thus  the  woman  to  whom 
he  spoke  so  faithfully,  yet  so  lovingly,  at  the  well  of  Jacob. 
From  Galilee,  after  having  performed  a  second  miracle  at 
Cana,  he  went  to  Nazareth,  where  he  entered  into  the  syn- 
agogue on  the  Sabbath,  and  expounded  one  of  Isaiah's  pre- 
dictions with  immediate  reference  to  himself.  But  his 
townsmen  were  filled  with  enmity  against  him,  and  even 
sought  to  put  him  to  death,  so  that  he  withdrew  to  Caperna- 


Fishers  of  Men.  37 

um,  where  he  fixed  his  residence  for  the  time ;  and  it  was 
during  the  first  weeks  of  his  sojourn  there  that  those  events 
occurred  to  which  our  attention  is  now  to  be  directed. 

I  have  been  thus  particular  in  enumerating  these  inci- 
dents, that  you  may  have  clearly  before  you  the  fact  that  Pe- 
ter and  his  partners  had  returned  to  their  ordinary  pursuits 
after  their  first  fellowship  with  Jesus.  It  is  impossible,  in- 
deed, to  fix  at  what  particular  point  they  left  him  and  went 
back  to  their  business.  Probably,  on  his  return  from  Jeru- 
salem, instead  of  accompanying  him  to  Nazareth,  they  went 
back  to  their  homes.  But,  however  that  may  have  been, 
they  were  once  more  in  their  boats  and  with  their  nets. 

Nor  let  that  seem  strange.  They  had  become  disciples. 
But  they  had  not  yet  been  called  to  the  apostleship.  Now, 
to  be  a  disciple,  it  is  not  necessary  that  we  should  leave  our 
secular  calling  and  spend  all  our  time  in  preaching  Christ. 
All  that  is  needed  is,  that  we  serve  him  in  our  business;  and 
so,  if  before  this  time  they  had  left  all  their  common  pur- 
suits, they  might  have  been  chargeable  with  presumption, 
and  with  running  before  they  had  been  sent.  Only  here 
and  there  a  Matthew,  sitting  at  the  receipt  of  custom,  is  com- 
manded to  leave  his  desk  and  give  himself  to  the  ministry 
of  the  Gospel ;  the  great  majority  of  men  are  called  to  follow 
Jesus  while  they  remain  at  "  the  receipt  of  custom  ;"  and  the 
ministry  of  such  a  life,  maintained  in  holiness  and  integrity 
for  Jesus'  sake,  may  be  only  less  powerful,  if  indeed  it  be 
less  powerful,  than  that  of  the  consecrated  preacher. 

The  scene  which  is  painted  for  us  by  the  Evangelist  here 
is  one  of  the  most  fascinating  description.  It  is  morning 
by  the  Lake  of  Gennesaret,  and  the  cities  and  villages 
around  its  banks  have  awaked  to  the  activities  of  life.  The 
hills  on  its  eastern  shore  are  baring  their  heads  to  greet  the 
day ;  and  the  waters  rippling  under  the  early  breeze  are  re- 
flecting, in  myriad  flashes,  the  gay  sunbeams.     To  the  right, 


; 


/ 


38  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

as  we  look  across  the  lake,  lies  the  city  of  Capernaum,  so 
near  us  that  we  may  hear  almost  the  hum  of  its  inhabit- 
ants ;  and  to  the  left,  the  fleet  of  fishing-boats,  which  have 
been  out  all  night,  are  standing  in  toward  Bethsaida.  Far 
away  along  the  shining  beach  the  eye  catches  a  glimpse  of 
Magdala  and  Tiberias,  while  everywhere  there  are  indica- 
tions of  stirring  energy  among  the  people.  Here  was  no 
place  of  solitude,  like  that  which  one  finds  by  the  shore  of  a 
Scottish  Highland  lake,  or  on  the  margin  of  a  hidden  sea  in 
the  depths  of  our  own  wilderness;  but,  instead,  a  centre  of 
teeming,  earnest  life.  "  It  was,"  as  Stanley  has  remarked, 
"  to  the  Roman  Palestine  almost  what  the  manufacturing 
districts  are  to  England.  Nowhere,  except  in  the  capital 
itself,  could  the  Lord  Jesus  have  found  such  a  sphere  for  his 
works  and  words  of  mercy ;  from  no  other  centre  could  his 
fame  have  so  gone  throughout  all  Syria ;  nowhere  else  could 
he  have  drawn  round  him  the  vast  multitudes  that  hung 
upon  his  lips."* 

See  how  they  throng  him  now !  He  has  but  just  made 
his  appearance,  coming  either  from  his  mountain  closet  or 
his  city  home  ;  yet,  as  he  moves  along  the  shore,  a  constantly 
increasing  multitude  follows  him,  until  the  pressure  becomes 
inconveniently  great ;  and  then,  that  he  may  the  more  easi- 
ly and  effectively  address  the  people,  he  goes  into  Simon's 
boat,  and,  getting  him  to  push  off  a  few  yards,  "  he  sat  down 
and  taught  the  people  out  of  the  ship."  Some  parable  from 
the  scene  that  was  around  him  ;  some  tender  appeal,  or 
some  solemn  warning,  or  some  far-reaching  and  impressive 
enforcement  of  a  spiritual  principle — we  are  not  told  what 
— was  the  subject  of  his  discourse.  But,  whatever  it  was,  it 
would  gather  in  upon  him  the  eager  attention  of  the  listen- 
ers, while  the  fishermen  by  his  side,  forgetting  their  nets, 

*  Stanley's  "  Sinai  and  Palestine,"  p.  368. 


Fishers  of  Men.  39 

would  cease  their  work  for  the  time,  as  they  listened  to  his 
words. 

But  now  the  discourse  is  ended,  and  the  Lord,  turning  to 
Simon,  bids  him  "  Launch  out  into  the  deep,  and  let  down 
your  nets  for  a  draught."  The  fisherman  is  astonished,  and 
replies,  not  in  unbelief,  but  in  amazement,  "  Master,  we  have 
toiled  all  night,  and  have  taken  nothing ;  nevertheless,  at 
thy  word,  I  will  let  down  the  net."  He  did  not  mean  to 
say  that  it  would  be  useless,  because  the  night  was  always 
the  most  favorable  time  for  fishing ;  and  since  they  had  been 
unsuccessful  then,  there  was  no  probability  that  they  would 
get  any  thing  now.  But  his  answer  was  an  acknowledg- 
ment of  failure,  and  an  expression  of  faith  triumphant  in 
failure :  "  I  should  not  have  thought  of  doing  any  thing  of 
the  kind ;  but  if  thou  sayest  it,  I  will  let  down  the  net,  and 
look  yet  for  success !"  And  his  faith  was  amply  rewarded, 
for  they  inclosed  such  a  multitude  of  fishes  that  the  net  be- 
gan to  break,  and  only  by  the  help  of  James  and  John,  his 
partners,  could  Simon  secure  his  haul.  Even  as  it  was,  both 
of  their  boats  were  filled  with  the  finny  freight,  so  that  they 
were  all  startled. 

But  the  effect  on  Simon  was  electric.  With  that  quick  in- 
sight, and  that  prompt  yielding  to  the  impulse  of  the  mo- 
ment, which,  as  we  proceed  in  his  history,  we  shall  discov- 
er were  characteristic  of  him,  he  saw  the  glory  of  Messiah's 
Godhead,  streaming  through  the  miracle,*  and  fell  at  his 
knees,  saying,  "  Depart  from  me ;  for  I  am  a  sinful  man,  O 
Lord." 

*  For  miracle  it  was,  betokening  that  **  Jesus  as  the  Lord  of  nature,  the 
ideal  man,  the  second  Adam,  in  whom  is  fulfilled  the  words  of  David, 
*  thou  hast  put  all  things  under  his  feet,  the  fowl  of  the  air,  and  the  fish 
of  the  sea,'  did,  by  the  secret  yet  mighty  magic  of  his  will,  wield  and 
guide  the  unconscious  creatures  so  as  to  make  them  subserve  the  higher 
interests  of  his  kingdom." — Trench  on  the  Miracles,^.  131. 


40  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

But  Christ  was  better  to  him  than  his  words  besought,  for 
he  said, "  Fear  not ;  from  henceforth  thou  shalt  catch  men  ;" 
and,  looking  round  upon  the  others,  he  said  to  them, "  Fol- 
low me,  and  I  will  make  you  fishers  of  men."  Nor  did  they 
hesitate  as  to  their  response,  for,  "  when  they  had  brought 
their  ships  to  land,  they  forsook  all,  and  followed  him." 

This  scene  marks  another  stage  in  Peter's  history.  Let 
us  see  what  we  may  learn  from  it  for  our  direction  and  en- 
couragement. 

We  may,  in  the  first  place,  be  reminded  that  discijileship 
comes  before  apostleship.  Peter  had  been,  for  at  least  some 
months,  a  docile  learner  in  the  school  of  Christ  before  he 
was  called  here  to  forsake  all,  and  follow  him  as  an  apostle. 
They  who  would  teach  others  about  the  Lord  must  first 
be  acquainted  with  him  themselves.  It  is,  indeed,  true  that 
God  may  sometimes  employ  the  agency  of  one  who  is  him- 
self unconverted  as  a  means  of  leading  others  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Thus  it  is  not  at  all  improbable 
that  the  title  which  Pilate,  himself  a  time-serving  trimmer, 
placed  over  the  cross  of  Christ  to  this  effect, "  This  is  Jesus 
of  Nazareth,  the  King  of  the  Jews,"  was  one  of  the  means 
used  by  the  Spirit  in  leading  the  penitent  thief  to  present 
the  prayer,  "  Lord,  remember  me,  when  thou  comest  into  thy 
kingdom."  But  that  is  not  his  ordinary  method.  Usually 
he  employs  one  who  is  already  a  disciple  to  bring  others  to 
himself. 

Now,  this  is  a  most  important  matter  for  those  of  us  who, 
as  preachers,  or  missionaries,  or  Sabbath-school  teachers,  or 
parents,  are  striving  to  commend  Christ  to  others.  Do  we 
know  him  ourselves  ?  My  brethren  and  fellow-laborers,  that 
is  for  us  the  question  of  questions  !  One  may  be  like  a  light- 
ship, guiding  others  into  the  harbor,  and  yet  himself  so  anch- 
ored that  he  can  not  enter  it !  Like  Noah's  carpenters,  we 
may  help  to  build  an  ark  for  the  salvation  of  others,  and  yet 


Fishers  of  Men.  41 

perish  ourselves.     What  a  fearful  possibility !     Let  us  take 
care  that  it  be  not  actualized  in  us  ! 

We  complain  sometimes  that  we  can  not  interest  those 
whom  we  are  trying  to  instruct.  We  are  discouraged  be- 
cause we  see  small  results  from  our  exertions.  May  not  the 
reason  be  that  we  are  not  truly  converted  ourselves  ?  That 
was  a  wise  advice  which  an  aged  minister  gave  to  a  young 
clergyman  :  "Whatever  goes  wrong,  always  blame  yourself"- 
And  we  may  almost  always  conclude  that,  if  we  are  not  suc- 
cessful in  winning  souls,  the  reason  is  either  because  our 
own  souls  are  not  yet  won,  or  because  they  are  cold  and 
destitute  of  the  highest  energy.  It  is  only  light  that  can  en- 
lighten ;  it  is  only  fire  that  can  kindle  flame  ;  hence,  if  we 
would  illuminate  others,  we  must  have  within  ourselves  the 
true  light ;  and  if  we  would  set  the  hearts  of  others  in  a 
blaze,  we  must  take  the  live  coal  with  which  we  do  so  from 
off  the  burning  altar  of  our  own  spirits.  Disciples  first,  my 
hearers  !  It  is  good  to  work  for  Christ ;  but  the  first  thing 
is  to  let  him  work  in  us !  "  Freely  have  ye  received,  freely 
give  " — that  was  his  charge  to  those  whom  he  first  sent  out. 
They  could  not  give  until  they  had  received.  So,  if  there  be 
one  here  to-night,  himself  unconverted,  who  is  a  Sabbath- 
school  teacher,  or  a  worker  in  some  Christian  enterprise,  let 
me  beseech  him,  now  and  here,  to  open  his  own  heart  for  the 
reception  of  the  blessing  of  Christ's  salvation  ;  and  that  will 
give  his  lessons  a  power,  and  his  labor  a  success,  which  he 
has  never  known  before. 

We  may  be  reminded,  in  the  second  place,  that  the  knowl- 
edge of  self,  obtained  through  the  discovery  of  Christ,  is  one 
of  the  main  elements  of  power  in  seeking  to  benefit  others. 
It  is  not  a  little  remarkable,  that  when  God  has  called  some 
of  his  greatest  servants  to  signal  service,  he  has  begun  by 
giving  them  a  thorough  revelation  of  themselves,  through 
the  unveiling  to  them  of  himself     Thus,  when  he  appeared 


42  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

to  Moses  at  the  bush,  the  first  effect  was  that  "  Moses  trem- 
bled, and  durst  not  behold  ;"*  and  the  ultimate  issue  was 
that  he  cried,  "  O  my  Lord,  I  am  not  eloquent ;  but  I  am 
slow  of  speech,  and  of  a  slow  tongue."  Forty  j^ears  before, 
he  had  been  ready  enough  to  trust  in  himself,  and  stand 
forth  as  the  deliverer  of  his  people.  But  that  very  self-con- 
fidence betokened  his  unfitness  for  the  work  which  he  as- 
sumed, and  now  his  self-distrust,  albeit  he  let  it  go  too  far, 
was  an  indication  of  his  preparation  for  the  enterprise  which 
Jehovah  set  before  him.  So,  again,  when  Gideon  at  his 
threshing-floor  was  visited  by  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  who 
summoned  him  to  go  forth  and  deliver  his  people  from  the 
hand  of  the  Midianites,  the  exclamation  of  his  heart  was,t 
"  O  my  Lord,  wherewith  shall  I  save  Israel  ?  behold,  my 
family  is  poor  in  Manasseh,  and  I  am  the  least  in  my  fa- 
ther's house."  In  the  same  manner,  when  Isaiaht  saw 
God's  glory  in  the  temple,  the  result  was  that  he  cried  out, 
"  Woe  is  me  !  for  I  am  undone ;  because  I  am  a  man  of  un- 
clean lips,  and  I  dwell  in  the  midst  of  a  people  of  unclean 
lips  :  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  the  King,  the  Lord  of  Hosts  ;" 
and  this,  together  with  the  purifying  of  his  lips,  was  the  fit- 
ting prelude  to  his  reception  of  the  great  commission  to 
speak  to  men  in  Jehovah's  name. 

Now,  we  see  precisely  the  same  thing  in  the  case  of  Peter 
here.  He  recognized  the  deity  of  Jesus  through  the  miracle; 
but  the  light  of  that  Godhead  did  at  the  same  time  flash  into 
his  own  heart,  and  reveal  him  unto  himself  as  he  had  never 
had  himself  revealed  unto  him  before.  Nay,  the  contrast 
between  the  holy  God  and  the  unholy  self  was  so  terrible, 
and  the  recoil  of  the  one  from  the  other  so  tremendous,  that 
he  cried  out,  "Depart  from  me;  for  I  am  a  sinful  man,  O 


*  Exodus  iv.,  10  ;  Acts  vii.,  31.  t  Judges  vi.,  11-15. 

X  Isaiah  vi.,  1-8. 


Fishers  of  Men.  43 

Lord  !"  Then  came  the  Master's  "  Fear  not,"  with  its  sooth- 
ing influence  j  and  thus,  through  his  discovery  of  himself  and 
tiis  knowledge  of  his  Lord,  he  was  prepared  for  his  apostolic 
service. 

A  knowledge  of  his  own  heart,  and  an  experimental  ac- 
quaintance with  Christ — these  are,  next  to  the  accompany- 
ing agency  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  mightiest  elements  of  the 
preacher's  power  ;  and  by  the  preacher  here,  I  mean,  not  the 
minister  only,  but  any  one  who  seeks  to  witness  for  Christ. 
Those  with  whom  you  have  to  do  are  men  like  yourselves ; 
and  that  which  has  found  its  way  to  your  heart  will  find  its 
way  to  theirs.  They  are  environed  with  the  same  beset- 
ments  as  those  which  surround  you.  They  have  to  do  battle 
with  the  same  temptations  as  those  with  which  you  have  to 
contend.  The  help  which  supported  you  will  sustain  them  j 
and  the  Saviour  who  delivered  you  can  deliver  them. 

I  have  seen  a  house-maid  in  one  of  our  great  hotels  take  a 
skeleton-key  and  pass  into  every  chamber  of  a  spacious  cor- 
ridor, laying  open  the  contents  of  each,  and  setting  to  work 
in  its  purification.  Now,  such  a  skeleton-key  is  the  knowl- 
edge of  his  own  heart,  to  the  minister  of  Christ.  It  enables 
him  to  unlock  the  hearts  of  others,  and  enter  into  them  and 
turn  out  their  hidden  things,  so  that,  as  he  proceeds,  his 
hearers  cry,  "  Who  told  him  all  that  ?  He  seems  to  be  read- 
ing the  very  innermost  secrets  of  my  soul."  Who  told  him .? 
I  will  answer.  It  was  Jesus,  when,  in  the  hour  of  his  dis- 
covery of  the  Saviour,  the  light  of  the  Godhead  gleamed  in 
upon  his  own  heart,  and  let  him  see  himself.  But  mere  self- 
knowledge  is  not  enough :  it  must  be  combined  with,  nay, 
consequent  upon,  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord.  Oh,  how  far 
Peter  saw  into  the  heart  of  Christ  through  that  "  Fear  not !" 
It  showed  him  that,  bad  as  he  had  found  out  that  he  was, 
the  Lord  was  willing  to  receive  him  still,  and  so  it  gave  him 
the  assurance  that  he  was  able  to  save  others  as  vile  as  him- 


44  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

self.  Doubtless,  therefore,  the  remembrance  of  this  "  Fear 
not "  was  one  of  the  factors  of  his  power  on  the  Day  of  Pen- 
tecost, when,  even  to  "Jerusalem  sinners,"  he  could  say,  "  Re; 
pent  and  be  converted,  that  your  sins  may  be  blotted  out." 

Nor  is  Peter's  case  singular  here.  You  have  an  instance 
of  the  same  thing  in  Bunyan,  although  in  his  experience  the 
discipline  spread  over  years,  instead  of  being,  as  here,  con- 
centrated into  a  moment.  How  he  loathed  himself  for  long 
before  he  heard  the  Lord's  gracious  "  Fear  not !"  and  yet, 
terrible  as  the  ordeal  was,  if  he  had  not  gone  through  it,  he 
had  never  written  his  immortal  allegory,  or  told  his  thrill- 
ing story  of  "grace  abounding  to  the  chief  of  sinners." 

So,  too,  John  Newton  passed  through  the  same  terrible 
tunnel  to  his  destination  in  the  pulpit.  William  Jay,  of 
Bath,  tells  the  following  story  of  an  interview  with  him. 
"When  I,  one  day,  called  upon  him,  he  said,  'I  am  glad  to 
see  you,  for  I  have  just  received  a  letter  from  Bath,  and 
you  may  know  something  of  the  writer,'  mentioning  his 
name.  I  told  him  I  did,  and  that  he  had  been  for  years  a 
hearer  of  mine, but  he  was  a  most  awful  character,  and  'al- 
most in  all  evil.'  '  But,'  said  he,  '  he  writes  now  as  a  peni- 
tent' I  said, '  He  may  be  such;  but  if  he  be,  I  shall  never 
despair  of  the  conversion  of  any  one  again.'  'Oh,'  said  he, 
'I  never  did,  since  God  saved  me.'"  That  confidence  in 
Christ's  almightiness  to  save !  Who  can  tell  how  much  it 
added  to  John  Newton's  power?  "Since  he  saved  me!" 
Who  can  doubt  that  the  memory  of  that  gave  tenderness 
to  his  heart  for  sinners  such  as  he  had  been }  On  the  wall 
of  his  study  at  Olney,  over  the  place  where  his  desk  stood, 
he  had  written,  in  very  large  letters,  these  words, "  Remem- 
ber that  thou  wast  a  bondsman  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  and 
the  Lord  thy  God  redeemed  thee  ;"^  and  every  reader  of  his 
letters  feels  that  the  memory  of  that  experience  is  throbbing 
through  all  these  heart  utterances.     Read  thyself  thorough- 


Fishers  of  Men.  45 

ly  in  the  light  of  the  manifestation  to  thee  of  the  glory  of 
Christ,  and  that  will  give  thee  power  in  dealing  with  other 
men  for  him.  Go  to  thy  work  in  self-abasement  and  self- 
distrust,  but  with  confidence  in  him,  and  to  thee,  too,  O  hum- 
ble teacher,  Christ  will  say  as  unto  Peter,  "  Fear  not ;  from 
henceforth  thou  shalt  catch  men." 

We  are  reminded,  in  the  third  place,  that  the  work  of  the 
Christian  ministry  demands  the  concentration  of  the  whole 
man  upon  it.  These  first  apostles  "forsook  all,  and  followed 
Christ."  This  was  their  response  to  the  call  to  active  and 
official  service  by  the  Lord.  Their  ordination  came  later ; 
but  their  acceptance  of  the  call  was  now,  and  was  signalized 
by  their  withdrawal  from  their  ordinary  pursuits.  "They 
forsook  all."  It  was  a  poor  "  all,"  some  have  said — "  two 
boats,  and  a  few  nets  ;"  but  it  was  not  so  poor,  after  all ;  for, 
as  we  saw  in  our  last  lecture,  there  is  good  reason  for  be- 
lieving, that  though  very  far  from  being  wealthy  in  the  mod- 
ern sense  of  that  word,  Peter  and  his  partners  were  in  cir- 
cumstances of  comfort ;  and,  in  any  case,  what  they  did  leave 
was  their  all. 

Now,  let  no  one  suppose  that  Jesus,  by  requiring  this  sac- 
rifice from  them,  has  branded  ordinary  secular  labor  so  called 
with  dishonor.  On  the  contrary,  he  whose  own  hands  had 
been  hardened  by  the  carpenter's  hammer,  has  thereby  given 
dignity — I  had  almost  said  divinity — to  manual  toil.  But  he 
wished  these  men  to  know,  and  his  ministers  of  every  after- 
age  to  learn,  that  the  work  of  seeking  after,  and  caring  for 
souls,  was  enough  for  all  the  energies  of  their  natures,  and 
all  the  ambition  of  their  hearts.  And  so,  though  occasion- 
ally they  reverted  to  their  original  calling,  they  did,  from  this 
time  forward  in  the  main,  and,  so  far  as  appears,  from  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  wholly  keep  themselves  for  their  apostolic 

*  "Autobiography  of  Rev.  William  Jay,"  pp.  275,  277. 


46  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

labors.  It  may  be  said,  indeed,  that  Paul,  after  entering 
upon  his  public  work,  is  found  both  at  Ephesus  and  at  Cor- 
inth, making  tents  in  the  workshop  of  Aquila ;  but  that  case, 
as  the  apostle  himself  is  very  careful  to  explain,  was  quite 
exceptional ;  and  his  exhortation  to  Timothy,  "  Give  thyself 
wholly  to  them,"  indicates  what  his  judgment,  in  all  ordinary 
cases,  was. 

He  who  would  be  a  minister  of  Christ  must  be  content  to 
turn  away  from  all  other  avenues  to  eminence,  how  inviting 
soever  they  may  appear.  The  gains  of  the  merchant,  the 
fame  of  the  philosopher,  the  influence  of  the  statesman,  the 
glory  of  the  discoverer,  are  not  for  him.  Into  the  field  of 
authorship  he  can  enter  properly  only  when  he  is  on  his  Mas- 
ter's business,  and  when  he  is  seeking  either  to  save  souls 
or  to  educate  them  in  the  knowledge  of  the  oracles  of  God. 
His  work  is  simply  and  only  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which 
is  lost ;  and  on  that  he  must  focus  his  whole  time  and  force. 
Very  beautifully,  in  connection  with  his  own  department  of 
foreign  missionary  enterprise,  did  Robert  Moffat,  the  father- 
in-law  of  Livingstone,  and  himself  for  fifty  years  a  Christian 
apostle  in  South  Africa,  express  this  thought,  when,  being 
asked  to  write  in  a  lady's  album,  he  penned  the  following 

lines  : 

"  My  album  is  in  savage  breasts, 
Where  passion  reigns  and  darkness  rests, 

Without  one  ray  of  light : 
To  write  the  name  of  Jesus  there, 
To  point  to  worlds  both  bright  and  fair, 
And  see  the  pagan  bow  in  prayer, 
Is  all  my  soul's  delight." 

And  every  true  minister  of  the  Gospel  feels  in  a  similar  way 
in  reference  to  his  work.  It  must  have  him  all.  He  casts 
no  lingering  look  of  regret  over  the  pursuits  he  used  to  love, 
or  the  studies  in  which  he  once  was  interested.  All  these 
things  he  lays,  with  Peter's  boats  and  nets,  and  Paul's  polit- 


Fishers  of  Men.  47 

ical  ambitions,  upon  the  altar  for  Christ ;  and  he  has  his  re- 
ward in  the  joy  of  his  work  and  in  the  peculiar  delight,  the 
purest  allotted  to  mortals,  of  bringing  sinners  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  their  Saviour.  His  old  fellow-students  may  be  met 
by  him  in  places  of  honor  and  emolument ;  and  though  he 
may  have  stood  higher  than  they  in  their  classes,  and  might 
have  looked,  had  he  entered  upon' other  departments  of  la- 
bor, to  have  still  kept  ahead  of  them,  he  is  content  to  be  as 
he  is.  Content !  oh,  how  much  more  than  content !  He  is  en- 
thusiastically devoted  to  his  calling,  and  would  not  give  the 
joy  of  being  instrumental  in  the  saving  of  one  soul  for  all  the 
glittering  prizes  which  all  other  pursuits  have  in  their  offer. 

Let  no  one  seek  the  ministry  who  is  not  ready  for  this  sac- 
rifice ;  but  when  it  is  made,  it  will  cease  to  be  a  sacrifice,  and 
become  a  joy ;  and  he  who  made  it  will  enter  into  the  fel- 
lowship of  the  Redeemer's  delight,  as  he  sees  the  fruit  of 
his  soul  travail,  and  will  cheer  himself  with  this  holy  song  : 

*'  'Tis  not  a  cause  of  small  import 
The  pastor's  care  demands  ; 
'Tis  what  might  fill  an  angel's  heart, 
And  filled  the  Saviour's  hands." 

If  a  man  can  stay  in  any  other  calling,  he  is  not  yet  desig- 
nated for  the  ministry.  His  true  call  to  that  noble  work  is, 
when  necessity  is  laid  upon  him,  and  he  feels  he  must  leave 
all  to  enter  upon  it.  Hence,  though  it  was  quaintly  ex- 
pressed, and  a  little  apt,  at  first,  to  be  misunderstood,  that 
was  a  wise  advice  which  a  professor  gave  to  a  young  man 
who  came  to  consult  him  about  the  propriety  of  his  becom- 
ing a  preacher  of  the  Gospel  :  "  Don't  be  a  minister,  if  you 
can  help  it."  He  who  can  not  help  being  a  minister  is  the 
really  Christ-called  man  ;  and  before  such  a  one  there  is  a 
career  of  honor  and  usefulness,  ay,  and  of  such  happiness  too, 
as  rarely  falls  to  the  lot  of  other  men.  Is  there  no  youth 
before  me,  to-night,  who  hears  now  the  Saviour's  call,  "  Fol- 
low me,  and  from  henceforth  thou  shalt  catch  men  ?"' 


48  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

We  are  reminded,  in  the  fourth  place,  that  the  higher  life 
of  the  ministry  lifts  into  itself  and  utilizes  all  the  experiences 
of  the  lower  life  that  preceded  it.  We  see,  in  tracing  the 
history  of  Paul,  how  his  residence  in  the  Greek  city  of  Tar- 
sus, and  his  training  under  the  tutorship  of  Gamaliel,  were, 
all  unconsciously  to  him  at  the  time,  real  preparations  for 
his  apostolic  work.  And  every  successful  preacher  in  the 
present  day  will  acknowledge  that  the  observations  which 
he  made,  and  the  lessons  which  he  learned,  in  the  store,  or 
the  office,  or  the  editorial  chair,  have  been  of  signal  service 
to  him  in  his  public  ministrations.  The  curriculum  of  col- 
lege, and  the  course  at  the  seminary,  have  been,  indeed,  un- 
speakably valuable  ;  but  the  university  of  daily  life  was  his 
first  "  alma  mater,"  and  now  that  he  has  attained  the  field 
of  his  proper  and  peculiar  possession,  his  early  experiences 
come  back  upon  him,  to  his  signal  advantage. 

In  the  case  of  Peter  here,  the  very  words  which  the  Lord 
addressed  to  him  would  be  sufficient  to  send  him  back  con- 
tinually in  thought  to  his  old  life  by  the  shores  of  Gennes- 
aret.  "Follow  me,  and  I  will  make  you  fishers  of  men." 
Fishers  of  men  !  What  a  light  did  our  Lord  throw  for  Peter 
over  his  new  occupation  by  that  phrase  !  Look  at  it  for  a 
moment  or  two ;  for  it  has  lessons  for  all  Christian  workers 
as  well  as  for  ministers  of  the  Gospel. 

For  one  thing,  it  tells  us  that,  if  we  would  catch  men,  we 
must  use  the  right  kind  of  net.  Is  it  not  the  case  that  the 
meshes  of  the  nets  we  commonly  employ  are  so  wide  that 
they  let  every  body  through  ?  We  speak  of  the  Gospel  as 
if  it  were  something  far  away  from  our  hearers.  We  dwell 
upon  it  as  a  history  eighteen  hundred  years  old,  but  fail  to 
make  men  feel  that  they  have  a  present  and  pressing  duty 

in  regard  to  it.     "  When  I  hear  Dr. preach,"  said  one, 

"  he  makes  me  think  a  great  deal  of  him  ;  but  when  I  listen 
to  Mr. ,  he  sends  me  away  with  a  very  poor  opinion  of 


Fishers  of  Men.  49 

myself."  Depend  upon  it,  the  latter  minister  had  a  net  with 
narrow  meshes  !  We  may  marvel  at  the  skill  of  a  man  who 
is  throwing  stones  at  a  mark ;  but  when  another  comes  and 
commences  to  throw  stones  at  us,  ah !  that  is  a  different  af- 
fair. So,  in  all  our  pulpits,  I  fear  we  have  too  much  aiming 
at  marks,  out  of  and  away  from  the  people,  and  too  little 
aiming  at  men's  hearts !  When,  here  and  there  and  every- 
where in  the  audience,  individuals  are  saying  within  them- 
selves, '■'That  means  w^,"  the  preacher  is  working  with  a 
proper  net ;  but  when  there  is  nothing  but  a  hush  of  admi- 
ration of  his  words,  he  might  as  well  have  held  his  peace. 

For  another  thing,  this  phrase  tells  us  that  we  must  fol- 
low men  to  their  haunts  if  we  would  catch  them  for  Christ. 
Three  years  ago,  I  was  living  during  the  summer  months  on 
the  beautiful  Bay  of  Northport,  on  the  Long  Island  coast, 
and  one  morning  there  was  a  great  and  unusual  stir  upon 
the  waters.  A  number  of  boats  came  in  whose  crews  began 
at  once  to  cast  and  haul  their  nets.  They  had  never  been 
there  before  during  all  the  weeks  I  had  lived  in  that  neigh- 
borhood. Why  did  they  come  then  ?  They  were  following 
the  fish,  for  they  had  seen  a  shoal  pass  in  before  them.  So 
we  must  go  where  men  congregate,  if  we  would  win  them  for 
Christ.  As  Archbishop  Leighton  once  said,  "  We  must  fol- 
low sinners  to  their  houses,  ay,  even  to  their  ale-houses."  If 
men  will  not  come  into  our  churches,  let  us  go  out  of  our 
churches  after  them.  Let  us  organize,  if  need  be,  a  visita- 
tion from  house  to  house ;  let  us  go  to  the  halls  they  fre- 
quent, and  the  streets  and  lanes  they  inhabit,  and  then  we 
may  have  the  delight  of  seeing  this  "  a  city  of  truth." 

Finally,  this  phrase  teaches  us  that  we  ought  to  improve 
special  seasons  of  opportunity.  There  are  times  when,  in 
the  fisherman's  boat,  one  may  toil  all  night,  and  for  many 
nights  together,  and  catch  nothing ;  and  there  are  other  oc- 
casions when  every  cast  of  the  net  is  rewarded  by  an  enor- 

3 


50  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

mous  draught :  and  you  never  find  the  fisherman  idle  when 
the  "  take  "  is  large.  So  it  is  also  in  the  experience  of  the 
Christian  worker.  Sometimes,  let  him  be  ever  so  earnest,  he 
seems  to  be  doing  no  good,  and  is  made  to  cry  constantly, 
"Who  hath  believed  my  report?"  But  then,  again,  he  has 
periods  of  success.  These  are  the  days  of  revival,  when 
multitudes  on  every  hand  are  "seeking  for  Jesus."  Such 
seasons  he  ought  to  improve  to  the  utmost,  and  if  he  can  not 
draw  in  the  net  alone,  let  him  beckon  to  his  fellow-laborers 
to  help  him.  Blessed  times  of  refreshing  !  oh,  how  we  long 
for  their  enjoyment!  Send  them  to  us,  thou  quickening 
Spirit !  And  send  with  them  the  energy,  the  strength,  and 
the  enthusiasm  to  make  the  best  of  them,  for  the  glory  of 
Christ  in  the  salvation  of  men. 

But  there  may  be  those  among  our  Christian  workers  who 
may  be  crying,  "  How  can  I  become  thus  skillful  in  winning 
souls  ?"  and  to  them,  as  to  myself,  I  would  reply,  Obey  the 
Master's  command.  He  said,  "  Follow  me,  and  I  will  make 
you  fishers  of  men."  Follow  him,  then,  brethren.  Keep 
close  to  him  ;  the  nearer,  the  better.  You  can  not  be  too 
near  him,  and  your  very  proximity  to  him  will  give  you  suc- 
cess. "That  man  preaches,"  said  one,  concerning  John 
Brown,  of  Haddington,  "  as  if  the  Lord  Jesus  were  at  his 
elbow."  It  was  his  nearness  to  his  Lord  that  gave  him 
power.  Keep  close  to  him,  therefore,  and,  whether  you 
preach  in  the  pulpit  or  the  Sabbath-school,  in  the  home  or 
in  the  store,  your  words  and  your  lives  will  catch  men  for 
Christ.* 

*  In  the  preceding  discourse  the  reader  will  discover  some  similarity 
of  thought  and  expression  to  one  of  the  author's  lectures  on  the  "Minis- 
try of  the  Word ;"  but  he  has  preferred  to  let  the  passages  remain, 
rather  than  destroy  the  unity  of  the  exposition  here  by  removing  them. 


IV. 

WALKING  ON  THE  WATERS. 

Matthew  xiv.,  22-33. 

ACCORDING  to  the  commonly  received  chronology  of 
the  gospels,  a  full  year  elapsed  between  the  incidents 
which  were  reviewed  in  our  last  lecture  and  those  which 
are  recorded  in  the  narrative  to  which  I  now  invite  your  at- 
tention. Much  had  occurred  in  that  interval  which  it  would 
be  important  for  us  to  consider,  if  we  were  engaged  in  the 
investigation  of  the  public  ministry  of  our  Lord;  but  only 
two  things  were  done  in  it,  so  far,  at  least,  as  the  evangelists 
have  given  us  information,  which  had  any  special  bearing 
upon  Peter.  Of  these,  the  first  was  the  healing  of  his  wife's 
mother,  who  was  lying  at  Capernaum  sick  of  a  "  great  fever." 
This  was  in  itself  considered  a  comparatively  unimportant 
miracle ;  yet,  from  the  record  of  its  performance,  we  learn, 
to  the  confusion  of  all  those  who  would  insist  upon  the  celi- 
bacy of  the  clergy  as  essential,  that  Peter  was  a  married 
man  ;  and  also,  to  the  rebuke  of  those  who  are  continually 
sneering  at  mothers-in-law,  that  Peter  had  a  heart  large  | 
enough  to  love,  and  a  house  big  enough  to  receive,  the 
mother  of  her  whom  he  had  chosen  as  the  companion  of  | 
his  life.  ' 

The  second  was  Peter's  ordination  to  the  apostolic  office 
along  with  the  eleven  whom  Christ  had  chosen  to  be  his 
specially  commissioned  witnesses.  This  solemn  act  was 
performed  by  Jesus,  after  a  night  of  prayer  upon  the  mount- 
ain ;  and,  in  connection  with  it,  he  addressed  to  them  that 


52  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

discourse  upon  the  plain  which  has  so  much  in  common 
with  his  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  In  all  this  Peter  was  con- 
cerned no  more  than  the  other  eleven  ;  but  it  is  remarkable 
that  in  all  the  lists  of  the  twelve,  varying  though  they  do 
in  other  respects,  his  name  stands  first*  Now,  this  is  not 
merely  accidental.  There  was  a  certain  primacy  given  to 
Peter  among  the  twelve,  and  because  the  Papists  have  per- 
verted that  into  a  sanction  of  their  claim  of  supremacy  for 
the  pope,  we  must  not  be  withheld  from  recognizing  it. 
Whether  on  the  score  of  age,  or,  as  is  most  likely,  on  that 
of  character  and  ability,  he  was,  by  common  consent — nay, 
as  we  shall  see  in  a  later  stage  of  his  history,  by  the  appoint- 
ment of  Christ  himself — the  first  of  the  twelve.  He  was 
their  spokesman  on  all  great  occasions ;  he  was  the  eager 
confessor  for  the  company  when  any  expression  of  their 
faith  was  asked.  But,  then,  he  had  no  official  prerogative 
over  them.  His  position  was  one  of  honor,  and  not  of 
power ;  one  of  influence,  and  not  of  authority ;  and  even  if 
it  were  to  be  granted  that  the  Bishop  of  Rome  is  his  suc- 
cessor, that  would  form  no  foundation  for  the  claim  which 
the  pope  makes  to  the  most  absolute  supremacy  over  the 
souls  and  the  most  unlimited  authority  over  the  lives  of  men. 
But  now  we  turn  to  the  contemplation  of  that  night-scene 
on  the  Lake  of  Galilee  which  is  described  in  the  narrative 
of  Matthew.  The  apostles  had  just  returned  from  their  first 
ministry  through  Galilee  ;  and  as,  in  the  exuberance  of  their 
joy,  they  were  telling  Jesus  "  all  things,  both  what  they  had 
done  and  what  they  had  taught,"  the  disciples  of  John  came 
to  cast  a  gloom  over  their  gladness  by  the  information 
that  Herod  had  beheaded  their  master,  to  gratify  Herodias. 
These  news  at  once  revived  in  Jesus  the  remembrance  of 
the  nobleness  of  John,  and  awakened  within  him  the  pre- 

*  See  Luke  vi.,  14-16 ;  Matt,  x.,  2-4 ;  Mark  iii.,  16-19 ;  John  xxi.,  2. 


Walking  on  the  Waters.  53 

sentiment  of  his  own  crucifixion,  so  that  he  longed  for 
quietude  and  retirement.  He  saw  that  matters  with  him? 
too,  were  hastening  to  a  crisis.  Twice  had  he  gone  round 
the  towns  and  cities  of  Galilee  j  and  though  the  multitudes 
crowded  round  him  and  "  heard  him  gladly,"  he  knew  that 
they  were  looking  for  a  Messiah  of  another  sort  than  he 
was,  and  he  foresaw  that  very  soon  they  would  have  to 
choose  between  him  and  the  idol  which  their  own  imagina- 
tion had  set  up.  Hence,  that  he  might  prepare  himself 
for  the  coming  ordeal,  and  fortify  his  followers  against  the 
temptation  that  was  in  store  for  them,  as  well  as  secure 
for  them  a  season  of  needed  rest  after  their  toil,  he  took 
them  with  him  to  the  eastern  shore  of  the  lake. 

But  the  inconsiderate  selfishness  of  the  people  utterly  de- 
feated his  plan.  Seeing  him  setting  out  in  the  boat  which 
he  had  secured  and  retained  for  his  convenience,*  they  walk- 
ed round  the  head  of  Gennesaret  in  great  numbers,  and,  im- 
mediately upon  his  landing,  they  flocked  around  him.  They 
were  cruel,  but  he  was  compassionate.  So  he  did  not  send 
them  away,  but  preached  to  them  during  a  great  portion  of 
the  day ;  and  when  the  evening  drew  on,  he  gave  them  a 
feast,  miraculously  provided  for  them  from  the  five  loaves 
and  two  fishes  which  a  lad  had  brought  with  him  in  his 
sachel.  The  effect  was  great.  The  enthusiasm  of  the  mul- 
titude was  roused  to  the  highest  pitch.  They  cried  out,* 
"  This  is  of  a  truth  that  Prophet  that  should  come  into  the 
world,"  and  they  wished  to  "  take  him  by  force,  to  make 
him  a  king."  His  own  immediate  followers,  too,  had  some 
sympathy  with  this  desire,  and  so  the  fellowship  of  the  mul- 
titude at  such  a  time  was  no  safe  thing  for  them.  There- 
fore he  sent  them  away  to  cross  the  lake  by  themselves,, 
and,  after  dismissing  the  multitude  to  their  homes,  he  went 

*  Mark  iii.,  9.  t  John  vi.,  14.     . 


54  Peter,  the  Apostle, 

up  alone  into  the  mountain  to  soothe  and  refresh  his  spirit 
by  fellowship  with  his  Father. 

While  he  was  thus  engaged,  however,  his  disciples  were 
contending  with  a  furious  storm,  which  had  arisen  with 
such  force  that,  after  toiling  for  nine  hours,  they  made 
no  more  than  "five  and  twenty  or  thirty  furlongs."  Nor 
need  this  surprise  us;  for  such  hurricanes  are  by  no 
means  uncommon  on  an  inland  sea  like  that  of  Tiberias. 
Dr.  Thomson  tells  us  that  he  spent  a  night  in  the  Wady 
Shukaiyif,  which  enabled  him  to  sympathize  with  the  disci- 
ples in  the  case  before  us.  He  says :  "  The  sun  had  scarce- 
ly set  when  the  wind  began  to  rush  down  toward  the  lake, 
and  it  continued  all  night  long  with  constantly  increasing 
violence,  so  that,  when  we  reached  the  shore  next  morning, 
the  face  of  the  lake  was  like  a  huge  boiling  caldron.  In  a 
wind  like  that,  the  disciples  must  have  been  driven  quite 
across  to  Gennesaret,  as  we  know  they  were.  To  under- 
stand the  causes  of  these  sudden  and  violent  tempests,  we 
must  remember  that  the  lake  lies  low  —  six  hundred  feet 
lower  than  the  ocean ;  that  the  vast  and  naked  plateaus  of 
the  Jaulan  rise  to  a  great  height,  spreading  backward  to  the 
wilds  of  the  Hauran,  and  upward  to  snowy  Hermon  ;  that 
the  water -courses  have  cut  out  profound  ravines  and  wild 
gorges,  converging  to  the  head  of  this  lake  ;  and  that  these 
act  like  gigantic  funnels  to  draw  down  the  cold  winds  from 
the  mountains.  On  the  occasion  referred  to,  we  subsequently 
pitched  our  tents  at  the  shore,  and  remained  for  three  days 
and  nights  exposed  to  this  tremendous  wind.  We  had  to 
double  pin  all  the  tent-ropes,  and  frequently  were  obliged  to 
hang  with  our  whole  weight  upon  them  to  keep  the  quivering 
tabernacle  from  being  carried  up  bodily  into  the  air.  No 
wonder  the  disciples  toiled  and  rowed  hard  all  that  night."* 

*  "  The  Land  and  the  Book,"  English  edition,  p.  374. 


Walking  on  the  Waters.  55 

At  length,  as  the  dawn  was  drawing  near,  they  beheld  one 
moving  majestically  toward  them,  walking  over  the  foaming 
waves ;  but  the  sight  only  aggravated  their  misery,  for,  with 
the  superstition  of  their  times  strong  within  them,  they  sup- 
posed it  was  a  phantom  from  the  other  world,  and  they  cried 
out  for  fear.  But  immediately  the  answer  to  their  exclama- 
tion came  in  the  Master's  well-known  voice,  "  I  am  !  be  not 
afraid."  I  am  !  What  a  singular  announcement  if  he  were 
only  a  man  !  what  a  natural  utterance  if  he  were  truly  God  ! 
For  how  can  God  reveal  himself,  except  by  the  assertion  of 
his  existence  ?  Is  not  this  another  of  those  I  AMS  which 
were  so  often  on  the  Saviour's  lips,  as  the  fourth  Evangelist 
has  testified.?  And  is  not  the  assertion  here  corroborated 
and  confirmed  by  his  miraculous  march  over  the  waters.'* 
There  was  one,  at  any  rate,  in  the  boat  to  whom  the  words 
and  the  action  were  alike  significant,  and  he,  not,  as  we 
might  have  imagined,  the  intuitional  and  keen -eyed  John, 
but  the  warm-hearted  and  impulsive  Peter,  who  replied, 
"  Lord,  if  it  be  thou,  bid  me  come  unto  thee  on  the  water." 

Nor  were  these  words  of  doubt,  as  if  still  he  hesitated 
whether  the  stranger  were  the  Christ  or  not.  Rather  they 
were  the  utterance  of  faith :  "  Since  thou  art,  let  me  be 
sharer  with  thee  in  the  calm  self-poise  which  can  move  thus, 
unaffected  by  the  storm  around  thee,  and  unsubmerged  by 
the  waves  beneath  thee."  It  was  not  forwardness,  as  some 
would  have  us  to  believe,  but  it  was  faith  quickened  by 
affection  ;  and,  therefore,  the  Lord  said  to  him,  "  Come. 
And  when  Peter  was  come  down  out  of  the  ship,  he  walked 
on  the  water  to  go  to  Jesus."  So  for  a  time  all  was  well. 
But,  taking  his  eyes  from  the  Master's  face,  and  looking 
down  upon  the  yawning  billows,  he  was  afraid,  and  began 
to  sink,  and  cried,  "  Lord,  save  me  !"  The  appeal  was  not 
in  vain,  for  "  immediately  Jesus  stretched  forth  his  hand  and 
caught  him,  and  said  unto  him,  O  thou  of  little  faith,  where- 


56  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

fore  didst  thou  doubt?"  Then,  when  this  singular  episode 
was  over,  Jesus  went  into  the  boat  with  his  followers ;  the 
storm  ceased ;  and  as  they  reached  their  destination  "  they 
that  were  in  the  ship  came  and  worshiped  him,  saying.  Of 
a  truth  thou  art  the  Son  of  God." 

Now,  it  is  not  difficult  to  discover  the  characteristics  of 
/Peter  as  they  come  out  here.  He  wore  no  mask.  What- 
ever he  felt  for  the  moment  was  sure  to  be  expressed  either 
by  his  words  or  his  actions.  He  carried  his  heart  upon  his 
'  sleeve,  and  was  ever  unsophisticated  and  genuine.  The 
cunning  duplicity  of  the  traitor  was  foreign  to  his  nature,  and 
even  the  caution  of  the  prudent  man  was  wanting  in  his 
disposition.  He  never  forecast  the  future,  or  attempted  to 
count  the  cost ;  and  so  we  account  for  the  fact  that,  with  a 
certain  generous  and  eager  impetuosity,  there  was  combined 
in  him  an  occasional  infirmity  of  purpose  or  weakness  of 
character.  He  easily  "  slopped  over  "  on  one  side,  and  that 
was  invariably  followed  by  a  simjlar  occurrence  on  the  other. 
In  the  case  before  us,  the  ardor  of  his  love  to  the  Lord  led 
him  to  make  this  singular  proposal  —  so  far  ahead  of  any 
thing  that  any  of  the  others  in  the  boat  had  thought  of — 
that  he  should  be  permitted  to  walk  upon  the  waters.  But 
no  sooner  is  his  wish  granted  to  him  than  the  reaction 
comes,  and  he  sinks  into  a  weaker  faith  than  that  which  the 
least  of  his  brethren  exercised. 

Now,  it  is  easy  to  blame  here,  and  to  say  that  either  Pe- 
ter should  not  have  been  so  eager  to  meet  his  Lord,  or  he 
should  have  maintained  his  faith  unto  the  last.  But  we  must 
not  forget  that  the  very  height  to  which,  for  the  moment,  his 
faith  had  attained  exposed  him,  more  than  others,  to  the 
temptation  to  unbelief  They  who  have  never  walked  on 
the  waters,  but  who  sit  securely  in  their  boats,  are  not  so 
liable  to  sink,  as  is  the  Peter  who  goes  marching  over  the 
waves.     The  men  of  even  temperament  who  are  rarely,  if 


Walking  on  the  Waters.  57 

ever,  discomposed,  can  not  understand  an  experience  such 
as  this.  They  know  nothing  either  of  ups  or  downs.  They 
are  never  down,  because  they  are  never  up ;  and  so  they  are 
apt  to  regard  such  spiritual  alternations  as  this  as  either  a 
mystery  or  a  lie.  When  they  read  the  sighings  and  cryings 
of  David  at  one  time,  and  his  ecstatic  utterances  at  another, 
they  declare  that  they  are  either  exaggerations  or  untruths. 
But  all  this  springs  from  their  own  commonplace  natures. 
Where  the  hills  are  highest,  the  ravines  are  deepest ;  and 
when,  by  an  outburst  of  faith,  one  rises  to  fellowship  with 
Jesus  in  his  walk  over  the  waves,  the  very  elevation  places 
him  in  new  peril.  Peter,  therefore,  must  not  be  unduly 
blamed  for  his  sinking.  At  least,  they  who  have  never  tried 
his  dangerous  walk  upon  the  deep  ought  to  be  the  last  to 
ridicule  his  lack  of  faith  when  he  began  to  be  afraid ;  and 
if  we  hint  at  a  fault  at  all,  it  is  that  he  did  not  learn  the 
lesson  which  this  self- revelation  might  have  taught  him, 
and  so  save  himself  from  that  greater  jeopardy  in  which 
he  placed  himself  when  he  entered  the  palace  of  the  high- 
priest,  and  of  which  this  was  a  faint  rehearsal  and  parabolic 
warning. 

But  now,  leaving  the  impulsive  apostle  for  the  time,  let  us 
see  what  lessons  of  admonition  and  of  cheer  we  may  learn 
for  ourselves,  from  the  consideration  of  this  interesting  epi- 
sode. 

And,  first,  we  learn  that  when  his  disciples  are  in  dan- 
ger of  being  carried  away  by  earthly  influences,  Christ 
sends  them  into  trial.  Matthew  tells  us  that  the  Lord  "con- 
strained "  his  disciples  to  get  into  the  boat.  The  word  is 
very  strong.  It  might  even  be  rendered  he  "forced"  them,  or 
he  "compelled"  them,  to  embark,  and  it  indicates  that  it  was 
only  by  the  exercise  of  his  authority  that  he  prevailed  upon 
them  to  set  out.  Now,  why  this  constraint  ?  Some  answer, 
because  he  desired  that  they  should  become  accustomed  to 

3* 


58  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

act  for  themselves  without  his  presence.  As  Trench  has 
said,  "  He  will  not  have  them  to  be  clinging  only  to  the  sense 
of  his  bodily  presence  :  they  must  not  be  as  ivy,  needing  al- 
ways an  outward  support,  but  as  hardy  forest-trees  which  can 
brave  a  blast ;  and  this  time  he  puts  them  forth  into  the  dan- 
ger alone,  even  as  some  loving  mother-bird  thrusts  her  fledg- 
lings from  the  nest,  that  they  may  find  their  own  wings  and 
learn  to  use  them."*  And,  no  doubt,  something  of  this  may 
have  entered  into  his  design  ;  yet  that  was  not  so  likely  to 
have  been  the  reason  for  his  procedure,  as  it  would  have 
been  if  the  circumstance  had  occurred  at  a  date  nearer  to 
the  close  of  his  ministry,  when  he  was  just  about  to  with- 
draw from  them  altogether.  Hence,  I  can  not  quite  accept 
that  as  an  explanation  of  the  course  which  he  here  adopted. 
But  when  I  open  the  Gospel  of  John,  I  find  a  sufficient  rea- 
son suggested  in  a  moment,  for  we  are  there  informed  that 
the  multitude  wished  to  "  take  Jesus  by  force  and  make  him 
a  king."  Now,  in  cherishing  this  desire  and  seeking  to  act 
upon  it,  the  people  were  adopting  a  thoroughly  false  idea  of 
the  royalty  of  the  Messiah.  They  thought  that  the  long-ex- 
pected deliverer  of  whom  their  prophets  had  spoken  was  to 
be  a  temporal  potentate,  and  that,  gathering  earthly  forces 
around  him,  he  would  break  the  yoke  of  the  Roman  oppress- 
or, set  up  his  throne  in  Jerusalem,  and  distribute  among  his 
adherents  the  rewards  of  place  and  preferment.  But  of  a 
kingdom  founded  upon  truth  and  love,  or  of  a  royalty  over 
the  hearts  and  consciences  and  lives  of  men,  they  had  not 
the  very  faintest  conception.  In  seeking,  therefore,  to  make 
Christ  a  king,  though  it  seemed  that  they  were  conferring 
honor  upon  him,  they  were  really  doing  their  best  to  wreck 
the  cause  of  which  he  was  the  head.  They  were  repeating 
only  in  their  own  way,  and,  in  a  sense  too,  with  love  and 

*  "  Notes  on  the  Miracles,"  p.  277. 


Walking  on  the  Waters.  59 

loyalty  to  him,  the  temptation  which  Satan  had  set  before 
him  on  the  mountain  when  he  offered  him  the  crown  without 
the  cross ;  and  so  he  could  not  listen  to  their  proposal. 

But  the  disciples,  just  at  this  stage  in  their  development, 
were  more  in  sympathy  with  the  multitude  than  with  their 
Master  in  this  matter.  They,  too,  desired  to  see  him  a  king, 
as  the  request  of  James  and  John  presented  through  their 
mother  attests,  and  as  even  the  question  put  to  their  Lord 
long  afterward,  on  the  very  eve  of  his  ascension,  fully  corrob- 
orates. So  it  was  dangerous  io  let  them  remain  in  the  com- 
pany of  the  crowd  while  this  frenzy  was  upon  them.  Some- 
thing else  must  be  found,  which,  for  the  time,  will  take  their 
minds  entirely  from  this  seductive  dream.  Therefore,  even 
by  the  exercise  of  constraint,  he  sent  them  away  ;  and,  very 
soon,  they  had  enough  to  do  to  keep  their  boat  from  sinking, 
and  had  no  thought  to  spare  for  the  kingdom  that  a  few 
hours  ago  seemed  to  be  so  near. 

Now,  if  this  be  a  correct  explanation  of  the  case,  does  it 
not  throw  light  on  many  of  the  trials  that  come  upon  God's 
people  still  ?  Our  afflictions  are  not  merely  chastisements  to 
mark  God's  displeasure  at  sins  of  which  we  have  been  guilty, 
or  restoratives  to  bring  us  back  to  the  life  from  which  we 
have  partially  fallen ;  but  they  are  frequently  also  preventives, 
and  come  to  occupy  our  hearts,  our  energies,  and  our  prayers, 
so  that  some  temptation  which  we  were  courting  or  coquet- 
ting with  shall  lose  its  power  to  harm  us.  If  we  are  bent  on 
something  which  shall  endanger  our  spirituality,  God  may 
send  upon  us  a  serious  affliction  just  to  keep  us  out  of  mis- 
chief. Can  not  you  look  back  on  many  occasions  in  your 
own  history  when  it  was  just  thus  with  you }  The  world 
was  too  much  with  you ;  you  were  becoming  enamored  of 
its  pleasures  and  its  pursuits ;  you  were  just  on  the  outer 
rim  of  the  vortex,  and  were  beginning  to  feel  the  fatal  fasci- 
nation of  the  whirlpool,  wherein  so  many  are  ingulfed,  when, 


6o  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

lo !  your  beloved  child  was  stricken  with  dangerous  illness, 
or  your  business  became  dreadfully  involved,  or  your  life- 
companion  was  taken  from  your  side,  or  you  were  yourself 
made  the  target  at  which  the  unscrupulous  and  the  vicious 
shot  the  arrows  of  their  scorn,  and,  in  the  pressure  of  the  ter- 
rible calamity,  you  were  delivered  from  the  spell  by  which 
the  world  was  holding  you.  Let  us  be  thankful,  brethren, 
that  the  arrangement  of  our  lives  is  in  the  hand  of  One  who 
sees  the  end  from  the  beginning,  and  who  makes  thus  our 
very  buffeting  with  trial  the  nosans  of  holding  us  back  from 
folly,  and  delivering  us  from  the  influence  of  evil. 

In  the  second  place,  we  learn  that  while  our  trial  lasts, 
the  Lord  prays  for  us.  All  during  the  night,  the  Saviour  was 
on  the  mountain,  and  his  eye  was  on  that  little  boat,  while 
his  supplications  ascended  to  his  Father  on  behalf  of  those 
who  were  exposed  to  danger  in  it.  These  were  weary  hours 
to  the  disciples,  and  there  was  in  their  hearts,  in  spite  of  all 
their  toil,  an  ever-present  sense  of  danger  ;  yet,  had  they  only 
known  it,  the  prayers  of  Jesus  were  between  them  and  ship- 
wreck, and,  trusting  in  him,  they  might  have  been  at  rest, 
even  in  spite  of  the  waves  by  which  their  boat  was  rocked. 
"  Now  all  this  happened  unto  them  for  an  ensample,"  and 
the  record  of  it  is  preserved  here  for  us,  that  we  may  learn 
even  under  trial  to  be  calm,  trusting  in  the  intercession  of 
our  great  High-priest. 

Nor  is  this  a  solitary  instance.  The  Church  of  Christ,  as 
a  whole,  has  often  been  like  that  little  skiff  on  the  boiling 
waters  of  Gennesaret ;  but  her  Lord's  prayers  for  her  in  the 
heavenly  temple  have  prevailed  on  her  behalf.  And  for 
martyrs,  confessors,  reformers,  his  intercession  has  availed, 
so  that,  amidst  the  fiercest  antagonism  of  ungodly  men,  they 
have  been  enabled  to  possess  their  souls  in  patience.  Cheer 
up,  therefore,  my  afflicted  brother !  I  know  that  you  are 
toiling  in  rowing,  and  that  you   seem   to  yourself  to  be  in 


Walking  on  the  Waters.  6i 

danger  of  being  submerged ;  but,  though  you  can  not  see 
him,  Jesus  is  praying  for  you,  and  his  intercession  is  always 
efficacious.  I  fear  we  all  make  too  little  of  the  intercession 
of  the  Lord  !  Our  prayer-meetings  are  famous  for  the  pres- 
entation of  multitudinous  requests  that  the  petitions  of  the 
brethren  should  be  offered  for  those  who  send  them  in,  and 
I  find  no  fault  with  that, for  I  believe  in  intercessory  prayer; 
but  do  we  ever  seek  to  have  Jesus  himself  pray  for  us  ? 
Have  we  not  too  largely  forgotten  "that  he  ever  liveth 
to  make  intercession  for  us  ?"  We  are  apt  to  imagine  that, 
as  on  earth,  the  man  who  would  intercede  for  a  multitude 
must  make  his  petitions  so  general  that  they  descend  not  to 
the  individual  wants  of  each,  so  it  must  be  with  Jesus. 
But  that  is  a  mistake ;  for  the  omniscience  of  his  deity 
makes  him  acquainted  with  our  undermost  necessities,  and 
the  love  and  sympathy  of  his  humanity  dispose  him  to  plead 
on  our  behalf.  Is  any  among  you  afflicted.?  then  let  him 
remember  that  "  we  have  an  advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus 
Christ  the  righteous ;"  and  let  the  consciousness  that  he  is 
interceding  for  him  fill  his  heart  with  that  peace  which  pass- 
eth  understanding. 

In  the  third  place,  we  learn  that  when  Christ  comes  to  us 
in  our  trials,  we  are  enabled  to  rise  with  him  above  them. 
You  observe  how,  as  the  Lord  approached  and  spoke  to 
them,  Peter  was  strengthened  to  overcome  his  fear,  and  was 
even  enabled  to  walk  upon  the  waters.  But  concerning  this 
coming  of  our  Lord  to  us  in  trouble,  the  narrative  before  us 
is  very  suggestive ;  and  I  must  name  two  or  three  things 
that  can  not  fail  to  strike  the  thoughtful  reader  as  he  medi- 
tates upon  it. 

For  one  thing,  the  Lord  did  not  come  at  once.  He  let 
the  night  wear  on  until  the  fourth  watch,  and  then  he  went 
to  their  relief.  Now,  so  it  has  frequently  been  with  us ;  our 
deliverances  have  not  always  come  at  the  moment  when  the 


62  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

peril  appeared.  The  Lord  has  left  us  to  ourselves,  that  we 
might  test  our  strength  and  discover  our  weakness.  He  has 
waited  till  the  object  of  his  discipline  has  been  accomplished 
in  us,  and  then  he  has  approached  us  with  his  help. 

Again,  the  Lord  came  to  these  disciples  over  the  very 
waves  which  constituted  their  trial.  So  he  frequently  makes 
his  pathway  into  our  hearts  over  the  affliction  which  is  at 
the  moment  distressing  us.  No  one  else  can  do  that.  For 
in  every  one  of  our  distresses  there  are  elements  which  we 
must  keep  hidden  from  our  fellow-men.  But  these  are  en- 
tirely known  to  Christ,  and  it  is  just  through  these  secret 
door-ways  that  he  enters  into  our  souls  and  brings  with  him 
his  cheer  and  succor.  Brother,  is  there  no  comfort  for  you 
here?  The  Lord  makes  your  trial  his  very  avenue  into 
your  spirit.  Look  out  for  his  coming,  then,  and  see  that  you 
give  him  a  right  royal  welcome  when  he  does  appear. 

Still  farther,  the  disciples  did  not  know  Christ  when  he 
came,  and  aggravated  their  misery  for  themselves  by  sup- 
posing that  he  was  a  ghost.  But  let  us  not  laugh  at  their 
superstition,  lest  we  should  be  found  also  making  merry  at 
our  own  expense.  Have  we  never  mistaken  Christ  for  a 
ghost,  or  perhaps,  worse  still,  for  an  evil  spirit?  We  have 
been  in  trouble,  and  matters,  as  we  think,  have  come  to  a 
crisis,  when  something  happens  which  at  first  we  judge  will 
surely  bring  ruin  upon  us,  and  we  cry  out  for  fear.  We  are 
undone !  the  Lord  hath  forsaken  us !  we  are  utterly  over- 
whelmed !  But  we  wait  a  little,  and,  in  a  wonderful  way,  we 
see  that  what  at  first  sight  seemed  our  undoing  has  actually 
become  our  salvation.  Have  you  never  had  an  experience 
like  that?  And  as  you  heard  the  Master's  voice  saying  to 
you,  "  It  is  I ;  be  not  afraid,"  have  you  not  had  your  fears 
put  to  shame  and  reproved  by  his  favor?  Brethren,  this 
night-scene  on  the  Galilean  lake  was  the  rehearsal  of  much 
which  is  happening  every  day  to  the  people  of  God ;  and  if 


Walking  on  the  Waters.  6^ 

we  studied  it  more  closely  we  should  have  far  fewer  diffi- 
culties about  what  we  call  the  mysteries  of  Providence. 

Once  more  :  when  Christ  comes,  and  is  recognized,  he 
brings  relief.  The  very  recognition  of  him  is  a  relief;  for 
there  is  no  real  distress  and  no  formidable  dangei"  to  the 
Christian  while  his  Lord  is  nigh.  The  presence  of  the  Mas- 
ter may  not  immediately  still  the  tempest,  but  it  will  en- 
able us  to  walk  upon  the  waves.  The  man  who  can  see  Je- 
sus in  his  troubles  always  keeps  them  under  him  ;  it  is  when 
he  fails  to  keep  his  eye  upon  the  Lord  that  they  threaten  to 
overwhelm  him.  So  long  as  Peter  was  "looking  unto  Jesus," 
there  was  an  influence  beneath  him  that  held  him  up  above 
the  waters ;  but  when  he  saw  the  wind  boisterous,  he  began 
to  sink.  Ah  !  how  many  of  us  are  like  him  there  !  We  see 
the  wind  boisterous ;  there  is  a  likelihood  that  we  shall  lose 
money,  or  forfeit  the  good  opinion  of  our  fellows,  or  perhaps 
lose  life  itself;  and  so  we  let  that  which  is  immediately  be- 
fore our  eyes  shut  out  from  our  hearts  the  remembrance  of 
the  glorious  promise,  "I  will  never  leave  thee  nor  forsake 
thee."  Who  can  help  being  reminded  by  this  whole  history 
of  that  great  reformer  whose  career  has  so  recently  been 
introduced  into  his  drama  by  the  English  poet-laureate.''  I 
mean  Archbishop  Cranmer.  In  his  life,  generally,  there  was 
not  much  of  the  time-server ;  but  when  the  storm  arose,  and 
the  wind  was  contrary,  and  he,  Peter-like,  essayed  to  walk 
over  the  waves,  he  began  to  sink,  and  unworthily  signed  that 
recantation  which  he  so  nobly  canceled  by  his  speech  at  his 
trial  and  his  conduct  at  the  stake.  Brethren,  let  us  be  at 
once  warned  and  encouraged  by  such  experiences  as  these  : 
warned,  when  we  are  in  trouble,  to  preserve  our  faith  in 
Christ ;  and  encouraged,  even  when  we  have  lost  our  faith 
in  part,  and  have  begun  to  sink,  to  cry  most  earnestly  for 
succor  to  him,  who  is  a  present  help  in  time  of  trouble. 
Lord,  save   me !   I   perish  !      What    short,  sharp,  agonizing 


64  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

cries  are  these  !  When  the  soul  is  in  anguish  and  in  earnest, 
its  prayers  are  telegram-like,  both  in  their  swiftness  and  in 
their  brevity,  and,  thank  God,  Christ's  answers  are  as  prompt 
and  as  pointed  as  our  prayers  can  be.  Is  there  one  here  to- 
night who  feels  like  Peter  weltering  in  the  waters  ?  Let  him 
send  up  Peter's  prayer,  and  he  will  have  the  same  answer 
which  the  Lord  vouchsafed  to  his  impulsive  apostle.  He 
who  "  stilled  the  rolling  waves  of  Galilee "  can  hush  the 
tempest  that  is  howling  around  thee.  Make  thy  prayer, 
then,  to  him. 

♦*  When  the  mighty  storm  is  surging, 
Stars  are  hid,  and  wind  is  shrill, 
Satan  striving,  passion  urging — 
Saviour,  whisper,  *  Peace,  be  still.' 

"  When  the  waves  of  doubt  and  terror 
Toss  me  at  their  own  wild  will. 
Light  seems  dark,  and  truth  seems  error- 
Saviour,  whisper,  *  Peace,  be  still.' 

"  When  affliction's  storms  are  howling, 
And  its  voice  my  soul  doth  thrill. 
Earth  is  black,  and  heaven  is  scowling — 
Saviour,  whisper,  *  Peace,  be  still.' 

"  When  the  tide  of  Death's  cold  river 
Shocks  me  with  its  icy  chill, 
Body  quakes  and  billows  quiver — 
Saviour,  whisper,  '  Peace,  be  still.'  "* 

*  "Poems  by  the  late  William  Leighton,"  p.  77. 


V. 

THE  FIRST  CONFESSION. 

John  vi.,  66-71. 

ON  the  morning  after  their  perilous  night  upon  Gen- 
nesaret,  and  Peter's  attempt  to  walk  upon  the  waters, 
the  disciples,  having  received  Jesus  into  the  boat  with  them, 
landed  at  Capernaum,  where  our  Lord  had  his  temporary 
home,  and  Peter  his  permanent  abode.  It  is  probable  that 
they  still  contemplated  the  taking  of  a  season  of  rest.  At 
all  events,  "if  they  were  needing  relaxation  before  they  visited 
the  eastern  side  of  the  lake,  they  would  all  require  it  much 
more  after  the  fatigues  of  the  day,  and  the  vigils,  the  toil, 
and  the  dangers  of  the  night.  But  there  was  little  hope  of 
retirement  for  them  now ;  for  as  soon  as  the  people  who  had 
been  with  them  on  the  previous  day  discovered  that  Jesus 
w^as  no  longer  in  their  neighborhood,  they  also  took  boats, 
and  crossed  to  Capernaum,  seeking  for  him.  Nor  did  he 
seclude  himself  from  them.  Inquirers  are  ever  welcomed 
by  the  Lord,  whether,  like  Nicodemus,  they  come  to  him  by 
night ;  or,  like  Zaccheus,  they  are  moved  to  approach  him 
by  the  merest  curiosity ;  or,  like  the  multitudes  in  the  pres- 
ent instance,  they  are  impelled  to  follow  him  by  some  earth- 
ly consideration.  He  receiveth  all  alike,  and  gives  to  each 
the  special  instruction  which  he  needs.  To  the  Pharisee  he 
speaks  of  the  necessity  of  the  new  birth  ;  to  the  publican  he 
discourses  of  his  mission  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was 
lost ;  and  to  those  eager  companies  who  lived  upon  the  sen- 
sationalism of  great  miracles,  and  sought  from  him  only  such 


66  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

worldly  advantage  as  they  could  make  out  of  him,  he  ad- 
dresses one  of  the  most  spiritual  and  searching  sermons  that 
he  ever  preached. 

Rising  from  the  miracle  of  the  loaves,  for  a  repetition  of 
which  on  a  larger  scale,  and  in  a  different  form,  they  were 
looking,  he  bids  them  become  more  earnest  for  the  meat 
which  endureth  unto  everlasting  life  than  they  were  for  the 
bread  that  perisheth,  and  he  proclaims  himself  to  be  the 
Bread  of  Life,  saying,  "  He  that  cometh  to  me  shall  never 
hunger;  and  he  that  believeth  on  me  shall  never  thirst." 
Nay,  going  further  still,  he  affirms  that  "  except  they  eat  the 
flesh  of  the  Son  of  man  and  drink  his  blood,  they  have  no 
life  in  them." 

Now,  these  words  implied  that  he  was  not  the  sort  of  Mes- 
siah whom  they  were  expecting.  They  looked  for  a  king, 
who  should  surround  himself  with  all  the  glitter  of  earthly 
royalty,  and  restore  to  the  tribes  the  splendor  which  they 
associated  with  the  throne  of  David  ;  but,  instead,  he  speaks 
of  himself  as  the  author  of  all  spiritual  life,  and  declares  that 
unless  they  received  him  by  a  faith  which  should  appropriate 
him  to  themselves,  as  thoroughly  as  one  makes  bread  his 
own  by  eating  it,  they  could  not  have  everlasting  life.  This 
was  to  Jews  like  them  a  "hard  saying."  They  had  been  ac- 
customed to  plume  themselves  on  being  Abraham's  children. 
They  supposed  that,  as  the  descendants  of  the  Father  of  the 
Faithful,  they  already  had  everlasting  life ;  and  when  they 
spake  the  day  before  of  making  him  a  king,  they  regard- 
ed themselves  rather  as  his  patrons  than  his  beneficiaries. 
They  thought  more  of  giving  honor  to  him  than  of  being 
dependent  upon  him  for  their  eternal  salvation.  No  doubt 
they  had  an  eye  to  their  own  interests.  But  they  were  look- 
ing only  at  their  temporal  advantage,  and  even  that  they  were 
seeking  to  promote  through  their  condescending  to  support 
him.     They  would  carry  him  to  his   throne,  and  then,  of 


The  First  Confession.  67 

course,  they  would  expect  their  reward  in  the  distribution  of 
his  favors.  That  was  the  programme  which  they  had  made 
out  for  themselves.  But  when  they  heard  him  claim  as  his 
own,  by  right  of  his  inherent  deity,  a  loftier  greatness  than 
any  which  they  could  confer,  they  said,  "  Is  not  this  Jesus, 
the  son  of  Joseph,  whose  father  and  mother  we  know  ?  How 
is  it  then  that  he  saith,  I  came  down  from  heaven  ?"  And 
when  he  asserted  that  faith  in  himself  was  indispensable  to 
everlasting  life,  they  were  offended  at  him;  so  that  even  they 
who  had  up  till  this  time  numbered  themselves  among  his 
disciples  murmured  at  his  words. 

Thus,  by  the  full  revelation  of  his  divine  dignity  and  spir- 
itual mission,  the  Lord  brought  matters  to  a  crisis  ;  and  now, 
with  that  winnowing  fan  whereof  the  Baptist  spake,  he  begins 
to  separate  the  chaff  from  the  wheat.  He  does  not  alter  his 
teachings  to  suit  the  changing  disposition  of  his  hearers,  but 
he  reiterates  the  truth,  only  in  a  stronger  form  than  ever, 
saying,  "  Doth  this  offend  you  ?  What  and  if  ye  shall  see  the 
Son  of  man  ascend  up  where  he  was  before }  It  is  the  Spirit 
that  quickeneth  ;  the  flesh  profiteth  nothing :  the  words  that 
I  speak  unto  you,  they  are  spirit,  and  they  are  life." 

This  uncompromising  firmness  of  his  put  an  end  to  inde- 
cision among  them,  and  so  from  that  time  "  many  of  his  dis- 
ciples went  back,  and  walked  no  more  with  him."  Nay, 
even  in  the  chosen  circle  of  his  own  twelve,  there  were  some 
signs  of  defection.  On  the  preceding  day,  as  we  saw  in  our 
last  lecture,  he  had  sent  them  away  from  the  crowd,  just  that 
they  might  be  removed  from  the  influence  of  the  seductive 
error  by  which  the  multitude  was  possessed  ;  and  one  might 
have  imagined  that  the  experiences  of  the  night  might  have 
cured  them  of  their  devotion  to  earthly  concerns.  But,  no ! 
they  were  still  in  some  measure  under  the  spell  by  which  the 
people  were  charmed.  Therefore,  turning  upon  them  a  look 
of  intense  affection,  he  said,  "Will  ye  also  go  away?" 


68  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

It  was  a  critical  moment,  like  that  when  a  general,  seeing 
his  troops  about  to  break  before  the  enemy,  tries  to  rally 
them  with  the  lightning  of  his  eye  and  the  inspiration  of  his 
appeal,  and  the  effect  was  remarkable ;  for  Peter,  speaking 
for  them  all,  exclaimed,  "  Lord,  to  whom  shall  we  go  ?  Thou 
hast  the  words  of  eternal  life :  and  we  believe  and  are  sure 
that  thou  art  that  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God." 

It  was  nobly  spoken,  and  we  can  forgive  the  son  of  Jonas 
for  many  acts  of  indiscretion,  in  consideration  of  the  hearty 
emphasis  of  this  well-timed  utterance.  When  the  banner  is 
raised,  the  storm  of  opposition  only  unfolds  it  more  fully  to 
the  gaze  of  men ;  and  when  true  decision  is  in  the  heart,  a 
time  of  prevalent  apostasy  only  makes  it  more  conspicuous. 
Nor  need  we  wonder  that  this  noble  and  magnanimous  re- 
sponse came  from  Peter.  He  had  been  prepared  to  give  it 
by  the  glimpses  of  the  deity  of  Jesus  which  he  had  caught 
through  the  miracle  of  the  fishes  and  the  walking  on  the 
sea ;  and,  believing  that  his  brethren  were  ready  to  indorse 
his  confession,  he  made  himself  for  the  moment  the  spokes- 
man of  the  band. 

But  he  went  farther  than  the  facts,  had  he  been  fully  ac- 
quainted with  them,  would  have  warranted ;  for  by  his  side 
was  standing  one  who  bitterly,  though  silently,  dissented 
from  his  words.  For  this  was  the  Rubicon  with  Judas  also, 
and  he  refused  to  cross  it.  He  was  one  of  those  who  were 
looking  for  a  mere  worldly  Messiah ;  and  as  he  heard  the 
solemn  and  searching  words  of  Jesus  at  this  time,  he  gave  up 
all  hope  of  remaining  permanently  in  his  service.  Now,  for 
the  first  time,  the  pang  of  disappointment  pierces  his  soul. 
He  feels  that  he  has  made  a  great  mistake.  He  sees  that 
he  will  never  gain  that  which  he  fancied  he  would  obtain 
when  he  joined  the  company  of  the  twelve.  But  he  will  not 
leave  just  yet.  He  will  remain  a  while,  and  see  if  he  can 
make  any  thing  out  of  the  enterprise.     He  will  watch  his 


The  First  Confession.  69 

opportunity,  and  continue  an  outward  adherent,  that  he  may 
the  better  carry  with  him,  when  he  goes,  something  tangible 
as  his  portion  of  the  spoil. 

Thus  the  crisis  which  evoked  the  honest  enthusiasm  of 
Peter  struck  out  of  the  flinty  heart  of  Judas  the  spark  which, 
after  smoldering  for  months  in  secret  dishonesty,  was  at 
length  to  burst  forth  into  the  blaze  of  uttermost  treachery, 
in  his  betrayal  of  the  Lord.  All  this  was  not  hidden  from 
the  Master's  eye.  So,  noting  what  was  passing  at  the  very 
moment  in  the  soul  of  Iscariot,  Jesus  said  to  Peter,  "  Have 
not  I  chosen  you  twelve,  and  one  of  you  is  a  devil  ?"  Dread- 
ful words,  which  must  have  shot  through  the  hearts  of  those 
who  heard  them  as  with  the  suddenness  and  the  shock  of 
an  electric  stroke,  and  yet,  while  in  their  definiteness  they 
were  full  of  warning  to  them  all,  in  their  indefiniteness  they 
were  full  of  mercy  to  Judas.  He  said  ''^  one  of  you  ;"  so  that 
no  one  could  tell  which,  and  Judas,  if  he  chose,  might  repent, 
and  return,  all  unsuspected,  to  his  allegiance.  He  said  "  one 
oi  you,^^  so  that  each  of  the  twelve  might  be  sent  in  upon 
himself  with  the  inquiry,  "Is  it  I?" 

Now,  in  connection  with  this  narrative  many  practical  les- 
sons suggest  themselves.     I  select  only  the  following  : 

We  are  reminded  by  this  history  of  the  fluctuating  char- 
acter of  human  applause.  The  day  before  this  defection  of 
his  disciples,  the  popularity  of  Jesus  might  be  said  to  be  at 
its  height.  The  multitudes  followed  him  all  the  way  round 
by  the  head  of  the  iake,  and  forgot  their  food  as  they  listened 
to  his  discourses ;  so  that,  in  compassion  for  their  hunger, 
he  made  for  them  a  repast  out  of  the  loaves  and  fishes  which 
the  sachel  of  a  lad  supplied ;  and  then  they  were  eager  to 
proclaim  him  king.  But  he  discouraged  them  from  such  a 
course,  and  sent  them  away ;  and  when,  the  next  day,  they 
renewed  their  efforts  with  that  object  in  view,  he  not  only 
would  not  sanction  their  proceeding,  but  gave  such  an  ex- 


70  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

position  of  his  purpose  and  ministry  as  showed  them  that 
he  had  no  sympathy  whatever  with  their  aims  and  ambitions. 
Then  they  left  him  forthwith,  and  were  changed  from  ad- 
miring followers  into  murmurers  against  him,  and  ultimate- 
ly into  open  antagonists.  Behold  what  a  revolution  a  single 
day  may  produce  !  And  in  the  light  of  such  a  history,  who 
would  be  so  foolish  as  to  cater  for  popularity  ? 

No  doubt  there  is  a  certain  satisfaction  in  having  what  one 
might  call  the  indorsement  of  a  multitude;  and  while  the 
attraction  lasts,  it  furnishes  a  larger  field  of  usefulness  than 
could  perhaps  be  otherwise  attained.  But  it  has  a  snare  as 
well  j  for  it  is  apt  to  put  the  pleasing  of  the  people  upper- 
most in  the  aim  of  the  teacher  or  the  preacher,  and  so  to 
bring  him  under  the  operation  of  the  histrionic  maxim  that 
"  they  who  live  to  please  must  please  to  live."  Of  course 
it  will  be  said  here  that,  in  a  certain  sense,  it  is  necessary 
that  you  should  please,  in  order  to  benefit  or  to  persuade  ; 
and  so  much  as  that  will  be  at  once  admitted.  He  who 
shocks  every  well-bred  person  with  his  coarseness,  and  vio- 
lates every  canon  of  wisdom  by  his  folly,  does  not  deserve 
to  succeed,  and  has  already  closed  against  him  every  avenue 
into  his  hearer's  souls.  There  is  a  propriety  to  be  observed 
in  this  as  in  every  thing  else ;  and  they  who  set  that  at  de- 
fiance are  certainly  not  in  that  the  followers  of  the  Lord  Je- 
sus Christ ;  for  no  teacher  was  ever  so  wise,  so  watchful,  so 
tender,  so  illustrative,  and  so  persuasive  as  he.  If,  there- 
fore, we  would  imitate  him,  we  must  cultivate  these  charac- 
teristics. That  they  are  elements  of  popularity  does  not  in 
the  least  matter,  for  they  are  so  only  in  the  sense  of  being 
the  prerequisites  to  the  gaining  of  the  ear  of  the  community. 

But  when  it  comes  to  this,  that  we  must  either  be  guilty 
of  treason  to  that  which  we  know  and  believe  to  be  the 
truth,  or  lose  the  allegiance  of  the  crowd,  then  I  should 
hope  there  are  few  among  us  who  would  prefer  the  huzza  of 


The  First  Confession. 


71 


a  multitude  to  the  approbation  of  conscience  and  of  God. 
Herein  lies  the  great  difference  between  the  true  popular 
leader,  whether  in  the  pulpit  or  on  the  political  platform, 
and  the  vulgar  demagogue.  The  one  seeks  to  guide  the 
throng;  the  other  is  guided  by  it.  If,  under  the  one,  some 
epidemic  of  misdirected  enthusiasm  manifests  itself,  as  in  the 
case  before  us,  he  seeks  to  subdue  it,  and  will  rather  forfeit 
the  popularity  of  the  hour  than  be  guilty  of  the  permanent 
folly  of  giving  his  sanction  to  what  he  knows  to  be  wrong. 
But  if  a  similar  outburst  of  zeal  without  knowledge  takes 
place  under  the  other,  it  carries  him  away  with  it.  He 
seems  to  be  directing  that  which  is  in  reality  directing  him. 
He  mistakes  the  empty  glory  of  being  the  figure-head  of  the 
ship  for  the  substantial  honor  of  being  its  captain ;  and 
when  the  whole  argosy  comes  to  grief  by  striking  against  a 
rock,  it  is  he  who  is  first  destroyed.  Thus  disastrous  in  his 
case  is  the  issue  of  that  which  once  seemed  for  him  so  pros- 
perous. But  the  wiser  teacher  bides  his  time ;  and,  in  their 
calmer  moments,  men  will  come  round  to  him  again,  and 
place  him  on  a  still  loftier  altitude  than  that  which  formerly 
he  occupied. 

It  comes,  then,  just  to  this,  that  if  one  means  to  serve  his 
generation,  he  must  not  care  for  applause.  His  heart's  de- 
votion must  be  one  and  undivided  to  the  truth,  and  to  him 
who  is  the  Lord  of  truth.  Let  him  ever  hold  aloft  that 
which  he  knows  and  believes  to  be  right ;  and  though  such 
a  course  may  diminish  the  number  of  his  followers  at  first ; 
though  it  may  provoke  the  blind  rage  of  his  adversaries,  and 
lead  them  to  nail  him  to  a  cross  ;  yet,  from  the  grave  of  such 
reproach  he  will  rise  at  length  to  a  throne  of  power  on  which 
no  living  man  could  ever  sit,  and  from  which  the  very  men- 
tion of  his  name  will  move  men's  spirits  as  with  some  potent 
spell.  The  temporary  withdrawal  of  popular  favor  is  noth- 
ing; but  this  permanent  enthronement  of  personal  influence 


72  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

is  real  greatness.  Let  us  live,  therefore,  not  for  the  applause 
of  the  hour — the  merest  clap-trap  can  get  that — but  for  the 
advancement  of  the  truth ;  and,  sooner  or  later,  we  shall 
share  in  the  glory  of  its  final  triumph. 

We  are  shown,  in  this  history,  the  tap-root  from  which  all 
apostasy  springs.  It  has  been  to  me  a  very  striking  discov- 
ery, that  the  first  indications  of  the  estrangement  of  Judas 
from  Jesus  wQre  connected  with  the  discourse  which  caused 
the  open  withdrawal  of  so  many  others.  This  indicates  that 
apostasy  may  exist  in  the  heart  a  long  while  before  it  is 
manifested  in  the  life.  From  this  point  on,  the  traitor  was 
out  of  sympathy  with  Christ.  Yet  no  one  of  the  twelve  ap- 
parently suspected  him.  On  the  very  night  of  the  last  sup- 
per, just  before  he  went  out  to  do  his  villainous  work,  he 
had  apparently  the  perfect  confidence  of  his  companions, 
for  they  supposed  that  he  had  gone  out  after  some  necessary 
business,  and  never  dreamed  of  the  false-heartedness  of  his 
after -conduct.  Yet  for  all  these  months  the  leaven  had 
been  working  within  him;  and,  apostle  though  he  was,  it  ac- 
complished his  perdition. 

I  presume  not  to  be  able  to  resolve  the  question  why,  with 
his  prescience  of  the  future,  Jesus  selected  the  traitor  for 
one  of  the  twelve.  I  can  see  that  a  very  valuable  element 
was  added  to  the  evidence  of  his  Messiahship  by  the  fact 
that  he  had  one  among  his  followers  who  proved  false,  and 
who  yet  could  lay  nothing  whatever  to  his  charge,  and  was 
constrained  by  remorse,  after  confessing  his  guilt,  to  take 
away  his  life. 

But  I  <am  more  concerned  now  to  say,  that  at  least  one 
reason  for  this  singular  selection  by  our  Lord  might  be  to 
put  every  minister,  office-bearer,  and  member  of  his  Church 
upon  his  guard,  by  showing  him  that  even  the  holding  of 
the  highest  office  in  that  Church  will  not  keep  a  man  from 
falling  away.     The  member  has  dropped  out  of  the  ranks ; 


The  First  Confession.  73 

the  Sabbath-school  teacher  has  disappeared  from  the  hefftt 
of  his  class ;  the  elder,  or  deacon,  has  gone  ignominiously 
back  j  the  minister  has  fallen  from  the  pulpit ;  yea,  even 
the  apostle  from  one  of  the  very  pinnacles  of  the  Tem- 
ple. Who,  then,  dares  to  think  of  himself  as  absolutely 
secure  ?  Blessed  Jesus  !  our  safety  is  in  thee  alone.  "  Hold 
thou  up  our  goings  in  thy  paths,  that  our  footsteps  may  not 
slip  !" 

But  how  shall  we  account  for  the  apostasy  of  Judas,  and 
of  those  who  openly  went  back  at  this  time?  I  think  the 
cause  of  it  is  not  far  to  seek.  Look  at  the  discourse  which 
preceded  this  defection.  From  beginning  to  end,  it  is  ad- 
dressed to  those  who  put  the  things  of  time  and  sense  above 
those  which  are  eternal  and  spiritual.  Their  concern  was 
for  the  bread  that  perisheth  ;  and  they  thought  little  of  that 
which  endureth  unto  everlasting  life.  They  came  to  Christ 
for  the  advancement  of  their  earthly  interests;  and  the  very 
moment  that  he  urges  them  to  subordinate  these  to  the 
things  of  eternity  they  turn  against  him.  So  with  Judas. 
Men  marvel  at  his  doing  such  a  foul  deed  as  that  which  he 
perpetrated  for  thirty  pieces  of  silver ;  but  I  do  not  wonder 
at  it  at  all.  This  world  was  his  God.  He  put  temporal  in- 
terests uppermost ;  and  the  man  who  is  seeking  only  and 
always  that  which  he  can  make  for  himself  is  fit  for  "trea- 
sons, stratagems,  and  spoils ;"  for  any  thing,  in  short,  which 
promises  him  gain.  These  apostates,  therefore,  were  all 
wedded  to  the  world.  In  fact,  they  had  never  let  go  the 
world  all  the  while  they  were  following  Christ.  They  went 
after  him  as  the  ship  at  anchor  drifts  with  the  tide,  because 
the  current  was  flowing  in  his  direction,  and  because  they 
hoped  to  obtain  some  individual  benefit,  or  some  national 
deliverance,  at  his  hands.  They  had  never  given  them- 
selves to  him  in  hearty  consecration ;  and  as  for  everlasting 
life,  they  had  not  thought  of  that.  So,  when  he  bids  them 
4 


74  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

receive  him  by  faith  as  the  Son  of  God,  and  their  Redeemer, 
they  are  offended  at  him. 

Now,  is  not  this  too  often  yet  the  source  from  which  apos- 
tasy springs  ?  One  says,  "  Put  me  into  the  priest's  office, 
that  I  may  eat  a  piece  of  bread ;"  and  it  is  not  wonderful, 
therefore,  that,  if  he  can  get  a  larger  piece  elsewhere,  he 
leaves  his  office,  and  his  professed  faith  also,  behind  him, 
and  goes  for  that.  Another  joins  the  Church  in  order  that 
he  may  get  into  good  society,  or  improve  his  business  con- 
nection, or  obtain  some  worldly  advantage.  Of  course,  if  by 
leaving  it  he  can  obtain  a  greater  temporal  advantage,  the 
very  motive  which  took  him  into  the  Church  at  first  will 
take  him  out  of  it  again.  For  in  the  one  case  and  in  the 
other,  the  entering  of  the  pulpit  and  the  joining  of  the 
Church  was  only  a  part  of  the  man's  worship  of  Mammon. 
He  who,  in  the  ranks  of  the  Church,  puts  any  thing  above 
salvation  through  Jesus  Christ  and  obedience  to  him,  is  al- 
ready an  apostate,  and  is  only  waiting,  like  Judas,  for  a  fa- 
vorable opportunity  of  making  thirty  pieces  of  silver  by  be- 
traying the  Lord.  How  is  it  with  you  in  this  regard  ?  I 
have  spoken  strongly,  but  surely  not  more  strongly  than  the 
subject  warrants  ;  for  oh !  what  must  have  been  the  agony  of 
the  Saviour's  heart,  when  there  were  crushed  out  of  him  such 
awful  words  as  these  :  "  Have  not  I  chosen  you  twelve  ?  and 
one  of  you  is  a  devil." 

We  have  here,  finally^  the  elements  of  Christian  steadfast- 
ness. It  is  pleasant  to  turn  from  the  contemplation  of  the 
apostasy  of  the  many,  to  look  at  the  magnanimous  response 
which  Peter  made  to  the  Master's  question,  "Will  ye  also 
go  away  ?"  It  not  only  reveals  to  us  the  generous  character 
of  Peter's  impulses — that  we  knew  before — but  it  also  shows 
us  what  are  the  best  antidotes  against  falling  away,  when 
apostasy  becomes,  as  it  was  here,  epidemic.  They  are  these 
two  things  : 


The  First  Confession.  75 

I.  The  setting  of  spiritual  things  above  temporal.  Peter 
said,  "  We  are  seeking  eternal  life,  and  there  is  no  one  who 
can  give  us  that  but  thee.  If  we  forsake  thee,  to  whom  can 
we  go.-*  The  Pharisees  will  mock  us  with  the  husks  of 
formalism,  while  we  are  wishing  the  kernel  of  truth.  The 
Sadducees  will  chill  us  with  the  cold  negation  of  unbelief, 
and  bid  us  be  still,  for  that  there  is  no  spirit  and  no  here- 
after. Our  souls  protest  against  them  both  alike,  and  we 
must  come  to  thee,  for  thou  hast  the  words  of  eternal  life." 
So,  by  keeping  uppermost  in  his  thoughts  eternal  life  as  the 
prime  necessity  of  the  human  spirit,  Peter  was  saved  from 
falling  away.  And  is  it  not  in  the  same  way  that  we  are  to 
keep  ourselves  steadfast  in  our  allegiance  to  Christ  to-day  ? 

There  may  be  many  who  would  seek  to  persuade  us  that 
science  and  philosophy  are  sufficient  for  human  guidance, 
and  would  estrange  us  from  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  And  if 
there  were  no  spiritual  nature  within  us,  and  no  future  life 
before  us,  we  might  be  disposed  to  listen  to  their  entreaties. 
But  so  long  as  we  give  the  foremost  place  to  the  necessities 
of  our  souls,  we  shall  be  constrained  to  keep  very  close  to 
Jesus,  for  only  he  can  meet  and  satisfy  these.  Amidst  the 
apotheosis  of  science  by  its  followers,  and  the  exaltation 
of  philosophy  by  its  votaries,  we  should  never  allow  it  to  be 
forgotten  that  there  are  deep,  solemn,  all-important  experi- 
ences in  the  human  heart,  which  only  Christ's  words  can 
meet.  There  is  the  sense  of  sin,  the  poison  of  the  arrow  of 
conviction,  which  no  earthly  antidote  can  neutralize,  and 
which  can  be  counteracted  only  by  the  blood  of  the  Redeem- 
er's cross.  There  is  the  dark  sorrow  of  bereavement,  which 
can  be  removed  only  by  the  vision  of  the  angel  at  the  door 
of  the  sepulchre,  and  the  hearing  of  his  soothing  words, 
"  Why  seek  ye  the  living  among  the  dead  ?  He  is  not  here  ; 
for  he  is  risen,  as  he  said.  Come,  see  the  place  where  the 
Lord  lay."    There  is  the  sense  of  lonesomeness  stealing  over 


76  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

the  heart,  even  in  the  midst  of  bustle  and  of  business,  which 
can  be  dispelled  alone  by  the  consciousness  of  the  Sav- 
iour's presence.  There  is  the  spirit-shudder  at  the  thought 
of  death,  which  only  faith  in  Christ  can  change  into  "  the 
desire  to  depart  and  to  be  with  him."  For  these  things 
science  has  no  remedy,  and  philosophy  no  solace ;  and  so 
the  thoughtful  Christian  can  still  say,  amidst  the  conflicting 
claims  of  the  various  forms  of  skepticism,  "  To  whom  shall 
we  go.?     Christ  has  the  words  of  eternal  life." 

2.  But  the  second  element  of  steadfastness  suggested  by 
Peter's  words  is  the  experimental  knowledge  of  Christ's  sal- 
vation. He  adds,  "  We  have  believed,  and  know  that  thou 
art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God."  He  had  before  him  at  the 
moment  the  various  revelations  which  he  had  received  from 
Jesus  of  his  personal  glory  and  his  saving  might.  So  he 
knew  whereof  he  spoke.  He  had  seen  the  majesty  of  God- 
head streaming  through  the  miracles  of  the  Master,  and  he 
had  felt  in  the  depths  of  his  nature  the  stirrings  of  that  new 
life  which  Christ  had  awakened  in  him.  No  man  could  rea- 
son him  out  of  these  things.  He  might  be  affected  by  a  sud- 
den panic,  as,  indeed,  at  a  later  date  he  was,  but  he  could  not 
be  permanently  persuaded  to  dishonor  Christ. 
/  So  it  always  is.  The  experience  of  the  Christian  is  his 
strongest  shield  against  unbelief.  He  knows  that  Jesus  has 
given  him  peace.  He  has  felt  that  Christ  has  quickened 
him  into  new  and  nobler  life.  He  has  received  a  new  nat- 
ure from  his  Lord.  He  has  by  him  been  enabled  to  over- 
come appetite,  and  to  put  the  tempter  to  flight.  No  one  else 
has  ever  been  to  him  what  Jesus  is,  or  done  to  him  what  Je- 
sus has  done  ;  and  you  may  as  well  attempt  to  persuade  a 
man  at  noonday  that  the  sun  is  not  shining  overhead,  as  seek 
to  shake  the  Christian's  confidence  in  his  Lord.  Every  ar- 
gument is  met  by  the  old  assertion  of  him  who  was  cured  of 
blindness,  "  One  thing  I  know,  that,  whereas  I  was  blind,  now 


The  First  Confession.  77 

I  see."     Get  this  experience,  and  it  will  give  you  steadfast- 
ness. 

This  is  the  impregnable  inner  citadel  of  the  Christian's 
faith.  This  has  given  strength  to  those  who  have  been  op- 
posed by  the  most  specious  and  insidious  argument ;  this 
nerved  apostles  and  martyrs  to  go  to  death  for  Jesus'  sake ; 
this  has  upheld  confessors  before  kings  and  counsels,  be- 
fore diets  and  tribunals  of  the  earth ;  this  has  enabled  many 
a  man  amidst  the  vain  philosophies  of  earth  to  preserve  his 
faith  in  Jesus  and  his  work.  Get  this,  my  friends,  and  you 
may  stand  unmoved  amidst  the  assaults  of  modern  unbe- 
lief, as  you  say  to  those  who  are  its  apostles,  "  I  know  Jesus 
Christ.  I  have  experienced  what  he  has  done  for  me,  and 
have  long  rejoiced  in  his  salvation.  For  whom,  or  for  what, 
am  I  to  leave  him  now?  Find  me  a  better  Saviour  than  he 
is,  before  I  forsake  him.  Find  me  one  who  shall  tell  me 
more  about  sin  and  salvation,  about  heaven  and  hell,  than 
he  has  told  me,  before  I  give  him  up.  Till  then,  cease  all 
your  efforts,  for  I  will  have  none  but  Christ." 


VI. 

THE  SECOND  CONFESSION. 

Matthew  xvi.,  13-19. 

AFTER  the  defection  of  the  multitude,  which  furnished 
the  occasion  for  Peter's  first  confession  of  his  belief 
in  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus,  our  Lord  went  to  the  region  of 
Tyre  and  Sidon,*  where,  in  answer  to  her  believing  impor- 
tunity, he  healed  the  daughter  of  the  Syrophenician  woman. 
Thence  he  returned  to  the  shore  of  Gennesaret  and  crossed 
into  the  district  of  Decapolis,t  where  he  healed  one  "  who 
was  deaf  and  had  an  impediment  in  his  speech,"  and  where 
he  fed  the  four  thousand  with  the  seven  loaves.  From  De- 
capolis  he  crossed  to  Magdala,1:  on  the  western  side  of  the 
lake,  and  thence§  he  went  northward  to  Bethsaida,  where  he 
opened  the  eyes  of  one  who  was  blind.  From  Bethsaida  he 
passed  up,  probably  along  the  bank  of  the  Jordan,  until  he 
came  "  into  the  coasts  of  Cesarea  Philippi,"||  which  were  be- 
yond the  boundary  of  Galilee. 

Thus,  just  at  this  crisis  of  his  ministry,  the  Lord  spent  his 
time,  for  the  most  part,  in  districts  which  were  outside  the 
limits  of  the  land  of  Israel. 

Where  the  evangelistic  narratives  are  silent,  it  is  not  for 
us  to  assert,  with  any  thing  like  certainty,  that  we  know  what 
his  motive  was  for  adopting  this  course.     But  we  may  con- 


*  Matt  XV.,  21-28.  t  Matt.  XV.,  39. 

X  Ibid.  XV.,  29-38 ;  Mark  vii,,  31-37. 

§  Mark  viii.,  22.  ||  Matt,  xvi,,  13. 


The  Second  Confession.  79 

jecture  that  he  was  induced  to  take  it,  by  one  or  other,  or 
all,  of  the  following  considerations  :  he  may  have  desired  in 
this  practical  way  to  administer  a  reproof  to  the  Galileans, 
by  showing  them  and  the  Jews  generally  that  their  rejection 
of  him  would  be  immediately  followed  by  the  calling  of  the 
Gentiles ;  or,  perceiving  the  influences  that  were  at  work 
among  the  people,  he  may  have  determined  to  withdraw  his 
chosen  apostles,  for  the  time,  from  the  sphere  of  their  oper- 
ation, and  to  secure  leisure  and  opportunity  for  instructing 
them  in  the  things  of  the  kingdom  ;  or,  as  Dr.  Robinson  has 
suggested,*  he  may  have  chosen  these  localities  because  they 
were  all  beyond  the  limit  of  the  jurisdiction  of  Herod,  whose 
attention  had  been  directed  to  him  after  the  death  of  John 
the  Baptist,  and  perhaps,  also,  because  the  temporary  pres- 
ence of  Herod  in  that  province  might,  at  the  moment,  have 
increased  his  personal  danger. 

But,  however  his  movements  may  be  accounted  for,  he 
came  at  length  to  Cesarea  Philippi.  This  place  is  to  be 
carefully  distinguished  from  the  sea -port  on  the  Mediter- 
ranean which  formed  the  Roman  capital  of  Palestine.  That 
had  been  only  recently  built,  under  the  auspices  of  Herod 
called  the  Great.  This  was  one  of  the  ancient  centres  of 
heathenism,  and  but  a  few  miles  beyond  Dan,  which  was  the 
most  northern  point  in  the  land  of  promise.  It  was  origi- 
nally called  Paneas,  probably  from  some  connection  with 
the  Greek  deity  named  Pan  ;t  and  that  his  worship  was  at 
some  time  practiced  in  the  neighborhood  seems  to  be  at- 
tested by  inscriptions  yet  visible  in  the  face  of  the  rock. 

When  Augustus  Cesar  visited  Palestine  in  the  year  B.C. 
20,  he  gave  to  Herod  the  Great  the  province  of  Paneas,  and, 
in  recognition  of  the  imperial  kindness,  the  Jewish  king  built 

*  "  Harmony  of  the  Gospels,"  English  edition,  p.  76,  note, 
t  See  Stanley's  "  Sinai  and  Palestine,"  pp.  390,  391. 


8o  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

there,  in  honor  of  Cesar,  a  splendid  temple  of  white  mar- 
ble. At  a  later  period  the  city  formed  part  of  the  territo- 
ry of  Philip,  who  rebuilt  it,  or  enlarged  it,  and  gave  it  the 
name  of  Cesarea,  in  honor  of  the  Emperor  Tiberius,  adding 
to  it  Philippi,  ostensibly  to  distinguish  it  from  the  other 
Cesarea,  but  really  to  glorify  himself.  But  now  these  names 
have  both  disappeared,  and  the  ancient  appellation  has  re- 
vived in  the  modern  Baneas. 

The  town  itself  was  situated  just  at  the  most  easterly 
source  of  the  river  Jordan,  where  the  water  flows  from  the 
base  of  a  high  lime-stone  rock  in  several  rivulets,  which  pres- 
ently unite  into  a  considerable  stream.*  All  travelers  speak 
in  terms  of  glowing  admiration  of  the  beauty  of  the  place. 
Stanley  affirms  that  "  in  its  situation,  in  its  exuberance  of 
water,  its  olive  groves,  and  its  view  over  the  distant  plains," 
it  is  "  almost  a  Syrian  Tivoli ;"  and  Porter  has  thus  graph- 
ically described  it :  "  Baneas  occupies  one  of  the  most  pict- 
uresque sites  in  Syria.  A  broad  terrace  on  the  mountain- 
side looks  out  over  the  rich  plain  of  Huleh,  westward  to  the 
castellated  heights  of  Hunim.  Behind  it  rises,  in  bold  and 
rugged  peaks,  the  southern  ridge  of  Hermon,  wooded  to  the 
summit.  Two  sublime  ravines  descend  from  the  ridge,  hav- 
ing between  them  a  conical  hill,  more  than  a  thousand  feet 
in  height,  and  crowned  by  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  castle  of 
Subeibeh.  On  the  terrace  at  the  base  of  this  cone  lie  the 
ruins  of  Cesarea  Philippi.  The  terrace  is  covered  with 
groves  of  evergreen,  oak,  and  olive  trees,  with  intervening 
glades  of  the  richest  green  turf,  and  clumps  of  hawthorn  and 
myrtle  here  and  there.  A  cliff  of  ruddy  limestone,  nearly 
one  hundred  feet  high,  rises  on  the  north  side  of  the  ruins. 
At  its  base  is  a  cave,  whose  mouth  is  now  almost  choked 

*  See  Fairbairn's  "Imperial  Dictionary,"  sub  voce ;  Stanley's  "Sinai 
and  Palestine,"  p.  389. 


The  Second  Confession.  8i 

up  with  the  debris  of  ancient  buildings  and  fragments  of  the 
overhanging  cliff.  From  the  midst  of  these  ruins,  and  from 
numerous  chinks  in  the  surrounding  rocks,  the  waters  of  the 
great  fountain  gush  forth.  They  collect  a  short  distance  be- 
low and  form  a  rapid  torrent,  which  leaps  in  sheets  of  foam 
down  a  rocky  bed,  now  scattering  its  spray  over  thickets  of 
oleanders,  and  now  fretting  against  fallen  columns."* 

Here,  then,  at  the  base  of  Hermon,  where  to-day  there 
is  such  a  startling  contrast  between  the  transitory  glory  of 
man's  proudest  works  and  the  permanent  outflowing  of 
that  life-giving  fountain  that  feeds  the  sparkling  river,  Jesus 
spake  those  words  which  described  the  indestructible  char- 
acter and  enduring  influence  of  that  Church  which  he  came 
to  earth  to  found. 

All  heathen  temples  will  one  day  molder,  as  that  of  Pa- 
neas  has  crumbled  into  dust ;  but  even  then  God's  people 
will  sing,  "There  is  a  river,  the  streams  whereof  shall  make 
glad  the  city  of  God,  the  holy  place  of  the  tabernacles  of  the 
Most  High.  God  is  in  the  midst  of  her ;  she  shall  not  be 
moved.     God  shall  help  her,  and  that  right  early. "t 

At  this  time,  and  in  this  place,  the  Lord,  not  for  the  pur- 
pose of  eliciting  information,  but  in  order  that  he  might 
have  an  opportunity  of  giving  emphasis  to  the  truth  about 
himself,  said  unto  his  followers,  "  Whom  do  men  say  that  I, 
the  Son  of  man,  am  ?"  The  question,  by  incorporating  in  it 
the  title  "  Son  of  man,"  by  which  the  prophet  Daniel  unde- 
niably designated  the  Messiah,  contained  an  implied  claim 
that  he  was  the  Christ,  and  drew  different  answers  from  dif- 
ferent individuals  among  them.  Some  had  heard  the  opin- 
ion expressed  that  he  was  John  the  Baptist  risen  from  the 
dead ;  others  had  been  told  that  he  was  Elijah ;  and  others 


*  Alexander's  *'  Kitto's  Cyclopaedia,"  stib  voce.  " 
t  Psa.  xlvi.,  4,  5. 


82  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

had  been  informed  that  he  was  Jeremiah,  or  one  of  the 
prophets. 

It  is  remarkable  that,  in  reporting  what  they  had  gathered 
of  the  general  sentiment  of  the  community  regarding  him, 
none  of  them  should  have  said,  "  We  have  heard  it  affirmed 
that  thou  art  the  Christ."  Some  twelve  or  eighteen  months 
before,  while  yet  the  testimony  of  John  the  Baptist  was  viv- 
idly remembered  by  them,  there  might  have  been  found  not 
a  few  who  would  have  said,  "  Thou  art  the  Messiah."  But 
now  the  influence  of  his  antagonists  was  in  the  ascendant, 
and  even  those  who  believed  in  the  rectitude  of  his  charac- 
ter were  not  prepared  to  go  farther  than  to  suggest  that  he 
was  the  prophet  whom  they  expected  as  the  forerunner  of 
the  Christ.  The  tide  had  begun  to  ebb  toward  the  Cruci- 
fixion. There  was  even  danger,  as  we  saw  in  our  last  dis- 
course, that  some  of  his  chosen  apostles  might  be  carried 
away  with  it.  So,  once  again,  he  put  to  them  the  pointed 
inquiry,  "Whom  say  ye  that  I  am?"  to  which,  with  his  ac- 
customed promptitude,  Simon  Peter  made  reply,  "  Thou  art 
the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God." 

Thus  again,  as  the  spokesman  of  the  twelve,  Simon  gave 
utterance,  without  hesitation  or  misgiving,  to  the  sentiments 
of  their  hearts  regarding  Jesus,  intimating  that  they  received 
him,  not  simply  in  the  sense  in  which  the  Jews  of  their  day 
were  prepared  to  receive  the  Messiah  when  he  came,  but  as, 
in  deed  and  in  truth,  a  sharer  in  the  deity  of  the  Godhead. 
For  the  idea  of  the  Messiah  then  current  among  even  pious 
Jews,  was  that  he  was  to  be  a  divinely  commissioned  man, 
of  exalted  virtue  and  noble  character,  but  still  a  man,  who, 
like  Daniel,  or  Ezra,  or  Nehemiah,  or  David,  would  be  of 
signal  service  to  their  nation.  But  Peter  shows  that  he  had 
risen  above  this  low  and  earthly  conception  of  the  great  de- 
liverer, and  that  he,  and  presumably  also  his  brethren  with 
him,  believed  Jesus  to  be  "  the  Son  of  the  living  God." 


The  Second  Confession.  83 

Now,  as  we  know  that  on  another  occasion,  when  Jesus 
spoke  of  God  as  his  Father,  the  Jews  accused  him  of  blas- 
phemy, on  the  ground  that,  by  such  a  mode  of  expressing 
himself,  he  made  himself  equal  with  God,*  we  have  no  hes- 
itation in  affirming  that  Peter  here,  in  his  own  name,  and  in 
the  name  of  his  fellow-apostles,  expresses  his  conviction  of 
the  truth,  not  only  of  the  Messiahship,  but  also  of  the  Deity 
of  Jesus. 

Many  things  had  led  Peter  to  this  conclusion.  He  had 
been  deeply  impressed  by  some  of  the  miracles  which  he 
had  seen,  and  some  of  the  discourses  which  he  had  heard ; 
and  he  could  not  be  insensible  to  the  matchless  beauty  of 
that  perfect  life  which  was  daily  unfolding  itself,  like  a  flow- 
er, before  his  eyes.  But  at  this  particular  moment  all  these 
were  brightened  and  vivified  to  him  by  the  influence  of  God 
himself  upon  his  soul,  so  that,  carried  out  of  himself,  or  at 
least  lifted  above  himself,  he  spoke  with  a  fervor  and  an 
earnestness  which  were  perfectly  unlike  any  former  manifes- 
tations of  his  attachment  to  the  Lord,  and  which  therefore 
drew  most  naturally  from  his  lips  the  warm  commendation, 
"  Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar-jona ;  for  flesh  and  blood  hath  I 
not  revealed  it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven.  \ 
And  I  say  also  unto  thee,  that  thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this 
rock  I  will  build  my  church  ;  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not 
prevail  against  it.  And  I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven :  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  bind  on 
earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven  ;  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt 
loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven." 

There  have  been  endless  discussions  among  controversial 
theologians  over  the  meaning  of  these  words ;  and  even  to 
give  a  summary  of  the  various  opinions  which  have  been 
advanced,  with  the  arguments  by  which  they  are  enforced, 

*  John  v.,  18. 


84  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

would  require  more  time  than  that  which  is  allotted  to  a  sin- 
gle discourse,  and  call  for  more  patience  than  that  which  is 
commonly  manifested  by  modern  sermon -hearers.  I  shall 
content  myself,  therefore,  with  setting  before  you  as  clearly 
as  possible  the  interpretation  which,  after  much  careful  in- 
vestigation, I  have  adopted  as,  all  things  considered,  the  most 
natural  and  obvious. 

Let  me  say,  in  the  outset,  that  it  is,  in  my  opinion,  unde- 
niable that  our  Lord  here  wished  to  confer  a  special  honor 
upon  Peter.  The  other  apostles,  indeed,  agreed  with  Simon 
in  the  matter  of  his  confession ;  but  the  promptitude  with 
which  it  was  made,  and  the  earnestness  which  glowed  through 
his  manner  when  he  made  it,  were  all  his  own  ;  and  it  was 
very  plainly  in  recognition  of  these  that  the  Lord  thus  sin- 
gled him  out  for  commendation  and  reward.  The  words 
"  Thou  art  Peter,"  and  the  frequent  recurrence  of  the  sec- 
ond personal  pronoun  throughout  the  sentence,  clearly  indi- 
cate that  the  Saviour's  design  was  to  confess  Peter  before 
the  apostles  even  as  Peter  had  confessed  him,  according  to 
that  word  of  his  own,  "Whosoever  confesseth  me  before  men, 
him  will  I  also  confess  before  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven." 

This  is  not  to  be  disputed ;  and  though  the  advocates  of 
the  Papacy  have  built  upon  it  a  superstructure  of  arrogance 
and  intolerance  which  has  outraged  humanity,  we  shall  gain 
little,  and  may  lose  much,  by  denying  the  modicum  of  truth 
which  is  in  their  treatment  of  this  subject.  Truth  is  truth, 
no  matter  how  much  men  may  have  sought  to  pervert  it  to 
their  own  selfish  ends  ;  and  as  it  is  the  truth  we  are  in  search 
of  here,  we  must  come  to  look  for  it  without  controversial 
bias. 

Now,  if  it  be  granted,  as  I  think  it  must  be,  that  the  Lord's 
design  throughout  was  to  honor  Peter,  it  will  follow  that  the 
rock  on  which  he  affirms  that  he  will  build  his  Church  is 
neither  the  confession  which  Peter  made,  nor  the  Lord  Jesus 


The  Second  Confession.  85 

himself,  to  whom  he  made  it,  but  Peter,  to  whom  the  Master 
is  at  the  moment  speaking.  "  By  this  confession  of  me  " — 
as  if  the  Lord  had  said,  "  Thou  art  the  first  who,  as  a  Hving 
stone,  has  laid  himself  upon  me  ;  and  so  on  thee,  the  stone 
nearest  to,  and  resting  first  upon,  the  foundation-stone,  I  will 
build  my  Church." 

What  can  be  simpler  or  more  beautiful  than  that  ?  The 
words  thus  understood  do  not  make  Peter  the  foundation  of 
the  Church  any  more  than  the  expression  of  Paul  does,  when 
he  says  that  we  "  are  built  upon  the  foundation  of  the  apos- 
tles and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself  being  the  chief  cor- 
ner-stone ;"^  or  the  ianguageof  John  in  the  Apocalypse  does, 
when  he  declares  "  that  the  wall  of  the  city  had  twelve  foun- 
dations, and  in  them  the  names  of  the  twelve  apostles  of  the 
Lamb."t  The  whole  purpose  of  the  Lord  is  to  confer  an 
honor  on  Peter  consequent  upon,  and  indeed  in  some  sort 
resulting  from,  the  priority  of  this  earnest  confession  public- 
ly made  by  him.  The  fivst  member  of  the  visible  Church 
upon  the  earth,  in  its  Christian  form,  was  Peter.  By  this 
open  expression  of  his  faith,  he  first  laid  himself  on  Christ ; 
and  so,  naturally  and  of  course,  the  others  were  built  above 
him  ;  but  all  still  rested  on  Christ. 

Now,  if  this  interpretation  be  accepted,  see  how  gradually 
the  other  things  said  by  the  Lord  are  developed  out  of  it. 
"And  the  gates  of  hell"  (/.  ^.,  of  Hades,  which  may  mean 
here  the  grave)  "shall  not  prevail  against  it."  As  if  he  had 
said, "  I  shall  never  lack  in  the  future  noble  confessors,  after 
thy  type.  One  generation  after  another  shall  pass  away,  but 
the  Church,  consisting  of  all  those  who  truly  believe  in  me, 
and  openly  confess  me  before  men,  shall  forever  remain. 
Death  shall  not  destroy  it,  for  evermore  new  and  enthusiast- 
ic ones  will  enter  to  take  the  places  of  those  who  are  re- 

*  Eph.  ii.,  20.  t  Rev.  xxi.,  14. 


86  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

moved  from  earth.  Persecution  shall  not  abolish  it,  for  the 
blood  of  the  martyrs  will  be  the  seed  from  which  new  con- 
fessors shall  spring  up  ;  and  still,  all  through  the  ages,  there 
will  be  those  who  shall  avouch  me  to  be  their  God,  and  ac- 
cept me  as  their  Redeemer." 

"And  I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven."  The  kingdom  of  heaven  here  is  not  the  kingdom 
of  glory;  and  so  this  passage  gives  no  countenanceto  the 
absurd  idea  that  Peter  is  the  porter  who  is  stationed  at  the 
gates  of  the  celestial  city.  The  kingdom,  as  we  gather  from 
the  many  passages  in  which  this  mode  of  speech  is  employ- 
ed, is  that  system  of  things  of  which  Christ  is  the  head,  which 
he  came  to  earth  to  introduce,  and  which,  in  its  issues, 
stretches  into  the  realm  of  glory.  It  is  not,  perhaps,  entire- 
ly synonymous  with  the  phrases  "  the  Gospel  dispensation  " 
and  "  the  Christian  Church,"  but  these  come  the  nearest  to 
it,  in  our  common  and  ordinary  speech. 

Now,  "  the  keys  "  of  this  kingdom  must  have  something 
to  do  with  its  doors  ;  and  the  gift  of  them  to  Peter  signifies 
that,  as  the  first  confessor  of  his  Lord,  he  was  to  have  the 
honor  of  opening  the  dispensation  of  the  Gospel,  or  the 
Church  of  Christ,  to  men.  And  how  remarkably  was  this 
prediction  verified  !  It  was  Peter  who  was  prominent  on  the 
Day  of  Pentecost.  He  it  was  who  opened  the  Church  to 
the  Jews;  and  as  the  result  of  his  appeals  and  those  of  his 
brethren  on  that  ever-memorable  day,  three  thousand  were 
converted  to  the  Lord,  and  "  added  to  the  Church." 

That  was  remarkable  enough,  considering  the  backsliding 
experience  out  of  which  Peter  had  so  lately  come  ;  but,  in  a 
way  that  was  even  more  striking,  he  opened  also  "  the  Gos- 
pel dispensation,"  or  "  the  Christian  Church,"  unto  the  Gen- 
tiles. Humanly  speaking,  he  was  indeed  about  the  last  man 
who  might  have  been  expected  to  do  any  thing  of  that  kind ; 
for  he  was  all  through  his  life  a  devoted  Jew,  and  was  as  pre- 


The  Second  Confession.  87 

eminently  the  apostle  of  the  circumcision  as  Paul  was  that 
of  the  uncircumcision.  But  he  was  prepared  for  the  work 
by  a  vision  from  heaven  ;  and  so,  when  the  servants  of  Cor- 
nelius came  to  Joppa  for  him,  he  was  ready  to  return  with 
them  to  Cesarea,  where,  as  he  preached  to  a  congregation  of 
Gentiles,  a  new  Pentecostal  baptism  came  down,  and  he  ad- 
mitted those  who  had  received  it  into  the  ranks  of  the  infant 
Church.  Thus,  with  his  "  keys,"  he  opened  the  Gospel  door 
alike  to  Jews  and  Gentiles. 

But  the  Saviour  adds,  "And  whatsoever  thou  shalt  bind 
on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven  ;  and  whatsoever  thou 
shalt  loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven."  The  key 
was  sometimes  of  old  a  symbol  of  office  and  authority,  and 
so,  very  naturally,  the  Lord  passes  into  the  thought  which 
these  last  words  express.  "To  bind"  and  "to  loose"  are 
modes  of  speech  having  reference  to  organization.  They 
refer  here  to  the  authority  which  was  vested  in  Peter,  and,  as 
we  shall  by-and-by  see,  in  the  other  apostles,  for  the  regula- 
tion of  the  government  and  affairs  of  the  Church.  He  was 
to  be  one  of  the  first  and  greatest  of  its  office-bearers ;  and, 
as  such,  he  would  have  delicate  and  difficult  work  to  do. 
But  so  long  as  he  sought  to  perform  that  work  in  the  spirit 
which  had  dictated  the  noble  confession  which  he  had  just 
made,  he  might  rest  assured  that  all  his  deeds  would  be  ap- 
proved and  ratified  on  high. 

All  this,  but  nothing  more  than  this,  seems  to  be  implied 
in  these  words.  And  doubtless  in  those  days  of  weighty  re- 
sponsibility, when  Peter  stood  before  the  Council,  when  he 
called  for  judgment  on  Ananias  and  Sapphira,  when  he  re- 
buked Simon  Magus,  and  preached  to  the  household  of  Cor- 
nelius, he  would  be  sustained  by  the  remembrance  of  his 
Master's  words  on  this  never-to-be-forgotten  occasion. 

Such  is  the  interpretation  of  this  vexed  passage,  which 
commends  itself  to  me  as  the  most  simple  and  natural.     But 


88  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

lest  any  should  sujDpose  that  the  Lord  here  gave  to  Peter 
any  such  primacy  as  that  which  is  claimed  for  the  Pope  in 
his  name,  I  would  remind  them  of  the  following  things  : 

1.  The  sole  thing  that  is  specially  given  to  Peter  above 
the  rest  is  that  which  is  thus  described,  "  I  will  give  thee 
the  keys  of  the  kingdom;"  for  when  we  turn  to  Matthew 
xviii.,  i8,  we  find  that  the  power  of  binding  and  loosing  is 
conferred  on  the  other  apostles  as  well  as  on  him ;  and 
when  we  read  John  xx.,  23,  we  discover  that  a  similar  priv- 
ilege seems  to  be  conferred,  in  its  collective  capacity,  upon 
the  Church  itself.  In  so  far  as  that  is  concerned,  therefore, 
the  primacy  of  Peter  consisted  in  the  fact  that  to  him  first, 
as  a  recognition  of  his  confession,  was  the  intimation  made 
that  such  a  power  would  be  conferred  upon  liim.  In  the 
same  way  we  have  seen  that  the  other  apostles,  as  well  as 
he,  are  spoken  of  as  foundation-stones  ;  but  the  honor  of  the 
keys  he  possessed  alone  ;  and  that,  therefore,  represents  the 
whole  difference  which  Christ  here  put  between  him  and 
them. 

2.  It  is  clear  that  the  other  apostles  had  no  idea  whatever 
that  Christ,  by  these  words,  intended  to  set  Peter  over  them 
as  their  visible  head  ;  for,  at  a  later  date,  Salome,  instigated 
by  her  two  sons,  requested  that  they  should  obtain  the  fore- 
most place  in  his  kingdom  ;  and  even  at  the  Last  Supper 
there  was  an  unseemly  dispute  among  the  tweh^e  as  to  which 
of  them  should  be  the  greatest.  Now,  all  these  requests  by 
them,  and  discussions  among  them,  would  have  been  as  un- 
necessary as  they  were  unsavory,  if  the  Lord  had  by  this  ut- 
terance already  decided  that  Peter  was  to  be  their  head. 

3.  Even  if  the  words  addressed  to  Peter  conveyed  in  them 
all  that  Roman  Catholic  interpreters  allege,  there  would 
still  be  wanting  evidence  that  he  was  ever  Bishop  of  Rome, 
or  that,  even  if  he  ever  occupied  that  position,  he  could 
transmit  his  personal  prerogative  to  any  successor.     The 


The  Second  Confession.  89 

questions  raised  by  this  remark  are  too  large  to  be  consid- 
ered here,  in  any  thing  like  fullness.  Let  it  be  only  ob- 
served that  all  the  honor  conferred  by  these  words  on  Peter 
was  given  to  him,  not  as  an  apostle,  but  as  a  prompt  and 
enthusiastic  confessor  of  the  Lord ;  and  the  succession  to 
that  honor,  if  there  be  any  succession  in  the  case,  must  come 
only  to  those  who  are  endowed  with  the  characteristic 
which  evoked  it  from  the  Saviour  at  the  first. 

As  a  matter  of  order,  it  may  be  true  enough  that  a  bishop 
may  ordain  a  bishop,  and  a  presbyter  a  presbyter,  and  the 
ordination  may  indicate  the  fact,  that,  by  the  consent  of  the 
Church,  the  individual  ordained  shall  discharge  the  func- 
tions belonging  to  his  office. 

But  apostles  have  no  successors :  it  was  a  condition  of 
their  office,  that  they  should  be  appointed  directly  and  im- 
mediately by  the  Lord.*  Hence,  if  this  honor  was  given  to 
.Peter  in  his  apostolic  capacity,  he  could  not  transmit  it  to 
others.  But  if  Peter  could  not,  as  an  apostle,  impart  this 
honor  to  others,  neither  could  he  as  a  bishop ;  for  though  a 
bishop  may  ordain  another  bishop,  yet  he  can  not  transmit 
character.  Hence,  even  if  it  were  true,  which  is  far  from 
being  universally  conceded,  that  Peter  was  Bishop  of  Rome, 
he  could  not  leave  his  character  as  a  legacy  to  those  who 
should  come  after  him  in  that  office ;  and  without  his  charac- 
ter the  honor  would  be  impossible. 

It  was  on  Peter  the  confessor,  and  himself  resting  on  the 
Lord  Jesus,  that  the  Church  was  built,  and  it  was  to  Peter 
the  confessor  that  the  keys  were  given.  Now,  it  is  vain  for 
any  man,  be  he  bishop  or  pontiff,  to  claim  these  honors  if 
he  is  destitute  of  the  character  on  which  the  honor  was  be- 
stowed ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  humblest  believer, 
w^ho   makes  a  similar  sincere  and  enthusiastic  declaration 

*  See  Gal.  i.,  passim. 


90  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

of  his  faith  in  Jesus,  does  in  a  measure  enter  into  Peter's 
succession,  and  share  with  him  his  privilege  and  prestige. 
He  who  in  the  face  of  a  wavering  world,  and  when  men, 
in  answer  to  the  question,  "  What  think  ye  of  Christ  ?"  are 
giving  diverse  replies,  stands  forth  and  says,  "  He  is  the  Son 
of  the  living  God,"  does  thereby  put  himself  into  the  chair 
of  Peter,  and  will  be  privileged  to  open  many  doors  into  the 
Church  for  sinners  converted  through  his  instrumentality ; 
and  that  is  a  higher  honor  than  to  be  the  Pope  of  Rome. 

These  last  sentences  have  prepared  the  way  for  the  en- 
forcement of  those  practical  lessons  which  are  very  obviously 
suggested  by  our  interpretation  of  this  interesting  passage : 
For,  in  the  first  place,  when  we  take  confession  of  Christ  as 
the  central  subjf^ct  of  this  section  of  sacred  history,  we  are 
reminded  of  the  truth  that,  wherever  it  is  genuine,  it  is  the 
result  of  the  operation  of  God  upon  the  soul.  There  is,  in- 
deed, the  highest  degree  of  moral  evidence  attesting  the  fact 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God.  All  an- 
cient prophecy  converges  toward  him ;  and,  as  Nicodemus 
said,  "  No  man  could  do  those  miracles  which  Jesus  did  ex- 
cept God  were  with  him."  So,  also,  the  matchless  purity 
of  his  life,  and  the  sublime  originality  and  authority  of  his 
teachings,  point  to  the  same  conclusion,  while  his  resurrec- 
tion from  the  dead,  which  is  the  best-attested  fact  in  human 
history,  declares  "  with  power  that  he  is  the  Son  of  God  ac- 
cording to  the  spirit  of  holiness."  It  is  possible,  therefore, 
to  construct  a  compact,  well -jointed,  and  irrefutable  argu- 
ment in  favor  of  the  Messiahship  and  Deity  of  Jesus  of 
Nazareth. 

'  But  while  all  such  reasonings  have  their  value,  and  must 
on  no  account  be  despised — for  they  are  the  outworks  of  the 
citadel  of  the  Christian  faith — still,  it  ought  to  be  borne  in 
mind  that  conversion,  and  confession  like  this  of  Peter,  are 
not  the  results  of  any  logical  process,  but  of  spiritual  illumi- 


The  Second  Confession.  91 

nation.  "Flesh  and  blood"  doth  not  reveal  this  truth  to  a 
man,  but  the  Father  who  is  in  heaven. 

If  any  proof  of  this  assertion  be  demanded,  you  have  it 
on  the  very  surface  of  the  evangelical  narratives ;  for  even 
they  who  ate  the  bread  of  miracle,  and  saw  the  Lord  bring- 
ing the  dead  to  life,  were  found  among  his  adversaries, 
though  they  readily  admitted  the  supernatural  character  of 
his  works.  It  is  necessary  that  there  be  not  only  a  sufficient 
degree  of  evidence  for  the  fact  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Lord 
from  heaven,  and  the  Saviour  of  men,  but  also  a  soul  ready 
to  receive  that  evidence.  For  this  is  a  matter  of  morals  as 
well  as  a  question  in  history ;  and  the  bias  of  the  heart  may 
neutralize  the  force  of  the  appeal  to  the  head.  So,  if  we  are 
earnestly  desirous  to  see  the  conversion  of  cur  friends,  and 
to  have  them  brought  to  the  point  of  making  an  open  confes- 
sion of  Christ,  we  must  not  only  labor  with  them  in  the  way 
of  setting  before  them  the  evidence  by  which  his  claims  are 
supported,  but  we  must  also  fervently  appeal  to  God  in  their 
behalf,  that  he  would  open  their  eyes  to  see  the  truth,  and 
dispose  their  minds  to  accept  it. 

Conversion  to-day  is  as  really  the  result  of  a  divine  illu- 
mination as  it  was  when  Paul  was  confronted  with  Christ  on 
the  way  to  Damascus ;  and  though  God  works  by  means,  in 
the  preaching  of  his  Gospel,  we  ought  always  to  accompany 
our  use  of  these  means  with  earnest  supplication  unto  him, 
that  he  would  bring  home  the  truth  to  men's  hearts  in  dem- 
onstration of  the  Spirit,  and  with  power.  It  is  not  by  syllo- 
gisms alone,  or  by  sermons  alone,  that  men  are  brought  to 
acknowledge  Christ,  but  by  the  revelation  of  God  through 
them,  and  along  with  them.  Is  it  not  written,  "  Not  by 
might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord  of 
hosts."  As,  therefore,  we  contemplate  the  careless  and  un- 
concerned around  us,  let  us  offer  for  them  Elisha's  prayer, 
"  O  Lord,  open  thou  their  eyes,  that  they  may  see." 


92  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

But,  in  the  second  place,  this  passage  shows  us  very  clear- 
ly the  connection  of  the  confession  of  Christ  with  the  per- 
manence and  the  progress  of  the  Church.  "On  this  rock 
will  I  build  my  church,  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  pre- 
vail against  it."  What  has  preserved  the  Church  until  to- 
day.? "The  faithfulness  of  God,"  you  answer,  "  as  mani- 
fested in  its  protection,"  and  you  are  right ;  but  by  what 
means  has  he  specially  perpetuated  it  ?  Has  it  not  been  by 
the  constant  addition  to  it  of  those  who,  as  they  entered  it, 
declared  their  faith  in  the  Messiahship  and  Deity  of  Christ? 
It  is  often  asked,  "Why  should  a  man  join  the  Church  ?  Is  it 
not  possible  to  be  a  Christian  without  being  connected  with 
any  visible  society?"  And  to  this  we  may  very  frankly  re- 
ply, that  no  doubt  it  is  possible  for  an  individual  to  be  a 
Christian  alone. 

But,  then,  where  would  Christianity  have  been  to-day,  if 
all  who  have  received  Jesus  as  their  Lord  had  acted  on  that 
plan  ?  Could  there  have  been,  in  that  case,  any  such  con- 
certed efforts  as  those  which  have  been  put  forth  in  the  mis- 
sionary enterprise  ?  Or  would  it  have  been  possible  for 
Christianity,  under  such  a  system,  to  have  pervaded  society 
as  it  has  done,  or  to  have  perpetuated  itself  at  all  ?  You 
have  but  to  put  these  questions  to  yourselves,  to  see  in  a 
moment  what  their  answer  must  be.  Even  in  national  ef- 
forts for  the  overturning  of  some  political  evil,  men  have 
found  that  it  is  hopeless  to  think  of  succeeding  unless  they 
can  secure  the  combined  action  of  all  who  agree  with  them. 
Hence  in  Old  England  there  were  anti- corn -law  leagues, 
and  in  this  country  there  were  anti-slavery  societies,  without 
which  the  evils  of  protection  there,  and  slavery  here,  could 
never  have  been  overthrown. 

Now,  similarly,  Christianity  can  be  eflEiciently  promoted 
only  by  a  visible  society ;  and  he  who  seeks  to  keep  himself 
isolated  is  only  shrinking  from  a  duty  which,  if  all  acted  as 


The  Second  Confession.  93 

he  is  doing,  would  be  discharged  by  nobody.  It  is  therefore 
essential  to  the  permanence  of  Christianity  on  the  earth, 
that  men,  through  the  Church,  should  make  a  public  confes- 
sion of  their  faith  in  Christ.  The  guerrilla  soldier  is  of  small 
avail  in  a  hotly  raging  battle.  The  close-compacted  cohorts 
and  well-drilled  battalions  win  the  day.  And  Christianity 
will  conquer  the  world,  not  through  each  individual  fighting 
for  his  own  hand,  but  through  the  disciplined  exertions  of 
the  churches  of  the  saints. 

Mark,  again,  how  closely  connected  this  confession  is  with 
the  progress  of  the  Church.  "  I  will  give  thee  the  keys  of 
the  kingdom."  That  was,  as  we  have  seen,  a  special  honor 
to  Peter ;  but  it  is  true  yet  that  Christ  puts  a  key  into  the 
hand  of  every  sincere  confessor  of  himself,  wherewith  he  may 
open  a  door  into  the  Church  for  some  one  else.  Each  new 
member  does,  by  his  avowal  of  himself  on  the  Lord's  side^ 
influence  some  one  else  to  take  a  similar  stand.  I 

I  question  if  there  are  many  Sabbaths  in  our  Church  histo- 
ry more  fruitful  in  such  results  than  those  on  which,  in  con- 
nection with  the  observance  of  the  Lord's-supper,  we  receive 
new  members  into  our  fellowship.  Their  very  appearance 
in  the  midst  of  us  is  itself  an  appeal  to  the  undecided  as 
pointed  and  earnest  as  that  of  Elijah  on  Carmel,  "  How  long 
halt  ye  between  two  opinions  ?"  And  in  conversing  with 
applicants  for  admission  to  the  Church,  I  have  been  sur- 
prised to  find  how  many  have  traced  their  final  decision  to 
the  sight  of  the  public  confession  which  others  were  making. 

So,  still,  the  Lord  gives  the  keys  to  his  faithful  witnesses  ; 
and  they  who  enter  the  Church  are  able  to  open  a  new  door 
for  others.  But  this  result  of  confession  must  not  be  re- 
stricted to  the  moment  of  joining  the  Church.  Wherever  a 
man  speaks  out  for  Christ,  in  business  or  in  society,  the 
Lord  puts  into  his  hand  a  key ;  and  at  the  end,  when  he 
sees  the  issues  of  his  conduct,  he  will  discover  that  he  has 


94  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

therewith  opened  up  the  way  of  some  soul  to  the  Saviour. 
Enthusiasm  is  infectious ;  and  the  outburst  of  one  may  at 
length  sway  a  multitude.  Is  there  not  here  an  argument 
why  you  who  have  hitherto  stood  timidly  aloof  should  come 
with  hearty  earnestness  into  the  ranks  of  the  Church  ?  How 
know  you  that  your  zeal  may  not  provoke  many?  For  if 
one  Peter,  through  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  was  in- 
strumental in  the  conversion  of  thousands  in  a  day,  what 
would  be  the  result  if  each  of  us  were  to  be  inspired  by  Pe- 
ter's enthusiasm,  and  to  copy  his  example  ?  Come,  then,  and 
take  your  stand  for  Christ.  The  question  of  these  times,  as 
of  all  times,  is  this  :  "Who  is  on  the  Lord's  side?"  And  if, 
in  your  secret  souls,  3^ou  are  convinced  that  his  side  is  the 
right  one,  you  are  doing  an  injury  to  yourselves,  to  the 
Church,  and  to  the  community,  by  keeping  your  conviction 
to  yourselves.  "Add  to  your  faith  courage  j"  and  when  oth- 
ers see  your  valor,  they  will  be  animated  to  follow  your  ex- 
ample. Hoist  your  flag !  and  determine,  by  God's  help,  to 
keep  it  fluttering  in  the  breeze  till  your  warfare  is  accom- 
plished. "  In  the  name  of  our  God,  let  us  set  up  our  ban- 
ners ;"  and  we  shall  see,  in  their  noble  colors,  at  once  the 
badge  of  our  decision  and  the  pledge  of  his  protection. 


VII. 

THE   REBUKE. 

Matthew  xvi.,  21-28. 

THE  careful  reader  of  the  gospels  can  observe  a  distinct 
gradation  in  the  course  of  instruction  through  which 
the  Lord  Jesus  led  his  disciples.  He  taught  them  "  as  they 
were  able  to  hear  it."  At  first  he  was  content  to  reveal 
himself  to  them  as  the  Messiah  promised  to  the  fathers; 
and  when  they  had  become  accustomed  to  think  of  him  in 
that  character,  he  carefully  abstracted  from  it  all  those  ele- 
ments of  mere  earthly  royalty  with  which  in  their  imagina- 
tions it  had  been  associated.  Then  he  made  known  to 
them  his  divine  dignity  as  the  incarnate  Son  of  God,  and,  in  \ 
immediate  connection  with  this  manifestation  of  his  personal 
greatness,  he  foretold  his  sufferings,  death,  and  resurrection. 
It  is  remarkable,  too,  that  in  connection  with  each  of 
these  stages  in  the  development  to  his  followers  of  our 
Lord's  character  and  work,  there  was  what  might  be  called 
a  crisis  in  his  ministry.  Thus,  his  public  claim  to  be  regard- 
ed as  Messiah  drew  upon  him  the  antagonism  of  the  men 
of  Nazareth,  to  such  an  extent  that  he  left  the  town  in  which 
he  had  been  brought  up,  and  took  up  his  abode  at  Caper- 
naum. So,  again,  his  refusal  to  become  a  king,  and  act  the 
part  which  popular  opinion  had  allotted  to  the  Messiah,  led 
to  the  defection  of  multitudes  in  the  synagogue  of  Caper- 
naum, and  planted  in  the  heart  of  Judas  the  seed  of  that 
dissatisfaction  of  which  at  length  his  treachery  was  the  fruit. 
And  when,  after  drawing  from  the  twelve,  through  Peter,  a 


96  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

confession  of  his  Deity,  he  proceeded  to  speak  of  his  death, 
the  effect  was  so  staggering  that  they  knew  not  well  what  to 
make  of  his  words,  and  Peter,  presuming  somewhat  on  his 
lately  received  honor,  actually  began  to  rebuke  him. 

All  this  is  valuable  as  an  indication  of  the  fact  that  the 
Lord  Jesus  could  not  have  been  an  impostor.  Had  he  been 
a  pretender  to  the  Messiahship,  then  he  would  have  sought 
to  work  out  the  Messianic  ideas  that  were  current  in  his 
day.  But,  instead  of  doing  that,  he  deliberately  turned  from 
all  offers  of  earthly  glory,  and  declared  that  "  the  Son  of  man 
came  not  to  be  ministered  unto  but  to  minister,  and  to  give 
his  life  a  ransom  for  many."  In  taking  such  a  course,  he 
fulfilled  in  the  most  exact  manner  the  predictions  concern- 
ing the  Messiah  in  the  Old  Testament.  But  while  that  fact 
adds  an  element  of  great  value  to  the  evidence  in  favor  of 
his  claims,  it  suggests  at  the  same  time  the  question,  how  it 
came  that  the  Jews  could  read  the  writings  of  their  own 
prophets  without  discovering  that  their  Messiah  was  to  be 
divine,  and  yet  a  man  of  sorrows  and  acquainted  with  grief. 

On  the  one  hand,  it  is  undeniable  that  at  the  time  of  the 
advent  almost  all  the  people  of  Israel  believed  that  their 
Messiah  was  to  be  a  man,  noble  and  great,  but  yet  only  a 
man,  and  that  his  career  was  to  be  one  of  uninterrupted 
glory.  And,  on  the  other,  it  is  equally  undeniable  that  Da- 
vid, Daniel,  Isaiah,  and  Zechariah  refer  to  him  as  stricken, 
smitten,  and  cut  off.  How,  then,  shall  we  account  for  the 
fact  that  the  Jews  should  have  made  such  a  mistake  ? 
Something  may  have  been  due  to  the  facts  that  the  proph- 
ecies which  refer  to  Messiah's  glory  are  more  numerous 
than  those  which  describe  his  sufferings  and  death,  and  that 
even  these  prophecies  are  couched  in  such  terms  as  veil 
their  spiritual  significance  beneath  a  material  covering. 

But  more  is  to  be  traced  to  the  working  of  the  familiar 
law,  that  the  eye  sees  only  what  it  brings  the  power  of  see- 


The  Rebuke.  97 

ing.  From  the  first,  the  Jews  had  been  educated  under  a 
system  of  externalities.  Even  the  sanctions  of  the  moral 
law,  as  written  in  their  books,  were  mainly  temporal,  and  so 
they  were  apt  to  make  more  of  the  seen  than  of  the  spiritual, 
and  to  elevate  the  earthly  above  the  eternal.  Again,  the 
wish  is  often  "  father  to  the  thought ;"  and,  as  in  the  days  of 
Herod,  the  people  were  groaning  under  a  foreign  despotism, 
they  came  naturally  to  think  of  their  Messiah  as  a  deliverer 
from  Roman  oppression.  The  bondage  of  sin  was  forgotten 
by  them  in  the  humiliating  consciousness  of  their  subjection 
to  the  empire.  And  so  we  can  understand  how  it  came  that 
they  could  not  tolerate  the  idea  of  a  Messiah  who  would  not 
consent  to  be  a  king,  and  were  positively  offended  at  the 
thought  that  he  should  die  upon  a  cross.  It  was  a  stum- 
bling-block unto  them. 

Now,  with  all  his  excellencies,  Peter  was  in  this  respect 
no  wiser  than  his  fellow-countrymen.  He  had,  indeed,  seen 
and  recognized  the  Deity  of  his  Master,  but  he  was  not  will- 
ing that  his  Master,  being  such  a  one,  should  be  put  to 
death.  Hence,  when  he  heard  the  Lord  describe  how,  at 
Jerusalem,  he  should  "suffer  many  things  of  the  elders  and 
chief  priests  and  scribes,  and  be  killed,  and  be  raised  again 
the  third  day,"  he  took  him  aside,  and  began  to  rebuke  him, 
saying,  "  Be  it  far  from  thee.  Lord  :  this  shall  not  be  unto 
thee."  It  was  kindly  meant.  The  loving  apostle  would 
spare  his  Master  all  trial  and  affliction.  But  he  knew  not 
what  he  said  ;  and  he  must  have  been  startled  when  the  re- 
buke came,  "Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan  :  thou  art  an  offense 
unto  me :  for  thou  savorest  not  the  things  that  be  of  God, 
but  those  that  be  of  men."  These  seem  strong  words,  and, 
apparently,  when  we  think  only  of  the  spirit  in  which  Peter 
spoke,  they  are  harsh  words.  But  when  we  go  beneath  the 
surface,  we  get  at  once  the  key  to  their  interpretation.  For 
what  was  it  that  Peter  would  have  placed  before  the  Lord  ? 

5 


98  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

It  was  the  kingdom  without  the  cross.  He  saw  no  necessity 
for  the  dying  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  His  suggestion  was  that 
he  should  ascend  to  his  throne  in  some  other  way  than  by 
that  of  Calvary.  To  him  there  were  hardship,  disgrace,  and 
agony  involved  in  the  endurance  of  such  things  as  Christ 
had  been  describing,  and  he  besought  the  Redeemer  to- 
choose  some  other  means  for  the  attainment  of  his  end. 
Thus  his  words  were  to  the  Lord  a  repetition  of  the  tempta- 
tion which  the  arch-fiend  had  put  before  him  when  on  the 
mountain -top  he  showed  him  "all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
world  and  the  glory  of  them  ;"  and  said,  "All  these  things 
will  I  give  thee,  if  thou  wilt  fall  down  and  worship  me  ;"  and, 
recognizing  the  source  from  which  the  suggestion  came,  he 
said,  "  What !  is  Satan  come  again  with  his  old  lure  ?  Get 
thee  hence,  thou  tempter !  But  a  little  while  ago  I  called 
thee  rock,  but  now  thou  art  a  stone  of  stumbling,  and  a  rock 
of  offense  unto  me,  and  all  because  thou  mindest  not  the 
things  which  be  of  God,  but  those  that  be  of  men." 

Then,  rising  from  this  error  of  Peter  regarding  himself,  he 
proceeds  to  guard  them  against  similar  mistakes  concerning 
themselves.  "You  think  it  unseemly  that  Messiah  should 
die  upon  a  cross,  but  what  say  you  to  this,  that  you,  too, 
must  be  ready  to  renounce  yourselves,  and  take  up  your 
cross  daily,  and  follow  me  ?"  The  disposition  which  places 
safety  uppermost,  and  makes  every  thing  bend  to  that,  does 
in  reality  only  court  destruction  ;  while  he  who  forgets  him- 
self in  the  service  of  the  Lord  is  always  sure  of  everlasting 
life ;  and  when  that  is  in  the  balance,  what  is  there  that  will 
outweigh  it  >  "  What  is  a  man  profited,  if  he  shall  gain  the 
whole  world  and  lose  his  own  soul?  or  what  shall  a  man 
give  in  exchange  for  his  soul  ?"  The  full  import  of  these 
words  may  not  be  understood  by  you  now ;  but  in  the  day 
when  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his  Father, 
with  the  angels,  and  shall  render  to  every  man  according  to 


The  Rebuke.  99 

his  works,  it  shall  be  clearly  perceived  by  all  who  stand  be- 
fore the  great  white  throne  ;  and  of  the  certainty  of  that  day 
you  shall  have  assurance  when,  by  his  resurrection  from  the 
dead  and  ascension  into  glory,  you  see  him  coming  in  his 
kingdom. 

Such  is  a  brief  exposition  of  this  interesting  section  of  the 
sacred  narrative.  Let  us  see  what  we  may  deduce  from  it 
applicable  to  our  present  circumstances. 

I  pass  by  all  reference  to  the  fact,  suggestive  though  it  be, 
that  this  mistake  of  Peter  followed  immediately  upon  his 
commendation  by  the  Lord.  Every  height  has  a  precipice 
on  one  side ;  and  when  we  receive  signal  honor  we  ought  to 
be  on  our  guard  against  falling  into  some  peculiar  disgrace. 

I  dwell  not,  either,  on  the  bearing  of  all  this  on  the  infalli- 
bility, which,  as  it  is  alleged,  has  come  through  Peter  to  the 
Pope ;  for  that  is  too  patent,  not  to  say  too  ludicrous,  to  es- 
cape the  observation  even  of  the  most  cursory  reader.  Of 
all  the  apostles,  one  would  have  thought  that  Peter  was  the 
very  last  whose  history  could  suggest  such  a  claim.  He  was 
constantly  getting  into  trouble,  and,  if  he  received  higher 
honor  than  ever  was  conferred  upon  his  brethren,  he  came 
in  also  for  more  trenchant  reproofs  than  any  one  of  them 
ever  called  forth.  Considering  all  that  was  to  be  built  upon 
the  eighteenth  verse  of  this  chapter  by  the  Church  of  Rome, 
it  is  certainly  not  a  little  remarkable,  that  almost  in  the 
same  paragraph  Peter  should  be  thus  addressed  by  Christ, 
"  Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan  ;"  and  every  reader  of  history 
knows  that  of  this  latter  sort  of  infallibility  we  have  had 
more  than  enough  in  the  chair  of  Peter,  and  elsewhere  in 
the  Church. 

But  I  wish  at  this  time  to  turn  your  attention  more  imme- 
diately to  a  matter  of  doctrinal  importance.  For  there  are 
those  among  us  who,  though  like  Peter,  they  are  perfectly 
convinced  of  the  Deity  of  Christ,  still  stumble  at  the  idea 


loo  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

that  his  death  is  a  true  and  proper  sacrifice  for  sin  ;  and  as, 
in  our  estimation,  that  state  of  mind  proceeds  from  regard- 
ing the  things  that  be  of  men  more  than  those  that  be  of 
God,  it  may  be  well  to  embrace  this  opportunity  of  meeting, 
and  if  possible  removing,  the  prejudice  which  many  thought- 
ful persons  have  on  this  subject. 

Thus  they  tell  us  that  it  is  positively  unjust  to  compel  the 
innocent  to  suffer  for  the  guilty.  They  put  the  matter  fa- 
miliarly in  this  way  :  if  the  son  of  a  king  and  the  son  of  a 
peasant  were  at  school  together,  and  if  the  peasant-boy  were 
obliged  to  answer  for  the  misdeeds  of  the  prince,  every  body 
would  exclaim  against  the  unrighteousness  of  such  a  pro- 
cedure. Now,  we  frankly  admit  that  such  a  thing  would  be 
unjust.  But,  then,  we  contend  that  the  analogy  is  false  ;  and 
perhaps  we  may  best  bring  out  the  truth  if,  taking  the  case 
which  they  suggest,  we  try  to  make  it  in  some  degree  paral- 
lel to  that  of  Christ  and  the  sinner.  To  be  so,  then,  it  must 
be  that  the  prince  suffers  for  the  peasant,  and  not  the  peas- 
ant for  the  prince.  It  must  be,  also,  that  the  suffering  of  the 
prince  is  a  purely  voluntary  thing,  not  suggested  by  the 
master,  but  accepted  by  him  as  sufficient  for  the  ends  of  jus- 
tice. It  must  be,  further,  that  the  suffering  of  the  prince  in 
the  room  of  the  peasant  is  the  only  thing  that  will  avail  to 
soften  his  heart,  and  actually  does  bring  him  to  a  sense  of 
duty,  so  that  he  craves  forgiveness  and  returns  to  obedi- 
ence.''*' Now,  when  the  case  is  put  thus,  who  does  not  see 
that,  so  far  from  exclaiming  against  the  vicarious  suffering  of 
the  prince  as  an  infliction  of  injustice  upon  him,  every  body 
would  applaud  his  generosity  and  love  for  submitting  to  in- 
dignity for  the  benefit  of  another  ?  Now,  this  last  is  the  true 
parallel  to  the  work  of  Christ.     He  was  no  mean  one  in  his 


*  See  this  point  very  strongly  made  by  Archbishop  Trench,  in  "  Five 
Sermons  before  the  University  of  Cambridge,"  pp.  30,  31. 


The  Rebuke.  ioi 

Father's  house,  but,  indeed,  the  fellow  of  Jehovah  himself 
He  was  not  compelled  to  suffer  for  mankind,  for  when  he 
came  into  the  world  he  said,  "Lo,  I  come  (in  the  volume  of 
the  book  it  is  written  of  me),  I  delight  to  do  thy  will,  O  my 
God ;"  and  when  again  he  spake  of  the  same  matter,  he  said, 
"  I  lay  down  my  life  of  myself.  No  one  taketh  my  life  from 
me  :  I  have  power  to  lay  it  down,  and  I  have  power  to  take 
it  again." 

Further,  this  sacrifice  of  his  was  the  only  thing  that  could 
meet  man's  case,  and  melt  his  heart.  Hence,  when  he  came 
forward  to  give  himself  for  human  sinners,  the  act  was  one 
lifted  above  all  legal  questionings  into  the  region  of  moral 
excellence  ;  and  it  was  only  not  righteous  because  it  was  so 
much  higher  than  righteous  as  to  take  rank  among  those 
things  which  are  good  and  merciful  and  godlike. 

Nor  can  we  forbear  from  saying  that  they  who  repudiate 
the  doctrine  that  Christ's  death  was  a  voluntary  sacrifice  for 
sin  do  thereby  give  to  his  dying  the  very  character  of  injus- 
tice, which  they  affirm  adheres  to  it  according  to  the  ortho- 
dox view.  For  if,  being  God,  as  they  admit,  and  so  possessed 
of  perfect  moral  excellence,  he  died,  then  he  suffered  that 
which  he  had  not  personally  deserved.  Nor  does  it  better 
the  matter  to  say  that  his  death  was  an  example.  For  it 
must  have  been  more  than  an  example,  otherwise  its  exem- 
plary force  will  be  something  more  terrible  than  those  with 
whom  I  am  reasoning  can  imagine.  If  Christ's  death  were 
not  a  sacrifice  for  sin,  voluntarily  offered  by  Christ  himself, 
then  it  was  the  most  unjust  thing  in  the  universe,  and  be- 
comes, in  the  expressive  words  of  Henry  Rogers,  "  an  exam- 
ple of  this,  that  the  more  men  obey  and  love  God,  the  dark- 
er may  be  the  divine  frown  and  the  greater  the  liability  to 
suffer,  under  the  incomprehensible  mysteries  of  the  divine 
administration,  so  that,  if  we  were  to  become  absolutely  per- 
fect as  Christ  was,  in  that  moment  we  might  reach  the  cli- 


102  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

max  of  misery.*  Brethren,  this  witness  is  true.  There  is  no 
injustice  in  the  dying  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  if  we  regard  it  as 
the  giving-up  by  him  of  that  which  was  at  his  own  disposal, 
in  order  that  he  might  save  sinners.  But  if  it  be  otherwise, 
then,  so  far  from  alluring  us  into  the  paths  of  righteousness, 
the  example  of  Christ  must  ever  deter  us  from  entering  upon 
them,  since  it  declares  to  us  that  the  holiest  man  endured 
the  heaviest  sufferings. 

There  is  no  evading  the  force  of  such  an  argument,  and 
so  those  who  consider  vicarious  atonement,  as  Peter  at  this 
moment  did,  something  derogatory  to  the  character  of  God, 
retreat  into  this  other  stronghold.  They  say  that  the  princi- 
ple of  substitution  is  not  admitted  in  human  law ;  and  that, 
therefore,  it  can  have  no  place  in  the  divine.  We  accept  the 
premise,  but  we  deny  the  conclusion ;  for  how  comes  it  that 
the  principle  of  allowing  the  innocent  voluntarily  to  suffer 
for  the  guilty  is  not  permitted  to  be  exemplified  in  human 
law  ?  We  answer,  for  two  reasons.  First,  because  no  ade- 
quate compensation  can  be  given  by  that  law  to  the  substi- 
tute himself.  In  the  matter  of  money,  when  the  law  can  give 
to  the  man  who  pays  another's  debt  a  claim  upon  him  or  his 
property  for  that  debt,  no  question  is  raised  against  substitu- 
tion. But  when  one  dies  for  another,  he  passes  by  his  death 
beyond  the  domain  of  human  law,  and  it  is  no  longer  possi- 
ble for  that  law  to  give  him  adequate  recompense.  And, 
second,  because  by  adopting  the  practice  of  substitution  in 
human  law,  injury  would  be  inflicted  on  the  community,  in- 
asmuch as  a  guilty  man  would  be  set  free  from  all  restraint, 
while  yet  his  disposition  was  unchanged,  and  no  guarantee 
could  be  given  that  he  would  not  repeat  his  former  crimes. 
For  these  reasons,  it  is  plain  that  substitution  never  can  be 
permitted  in  human  criminal  jurisprudence.     But  if,  in  any 

*  The  "  Greyson  Letters,"  p.  238. 


The  Rebuke.  103 

way,  these  objections  could  be  obviated,  then  I  can  see  no 
reason,  either  in  the  law  itself  or  in  the  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity, why  it  might  not  be  allowed. 

Now,  in  the  case  of  the  substitution  of  Christ  for  sinners, 
these  objections  are  both  removed.  For,  first  of  all,  an  ade- 
quate compensation  is  given  him  for  his  sacrifice.  Death 
did  not  remove  him  from  the  sphere  of  divine  law ;  nay, 
rather,  it  only  introduced  him  into  a  department  where  that 
law  could  give  him  higher  honor  than  any  which  on  earth 
he  could  enjoy.  So  there  he  is  exalted  "  above  principalities 
and  powers  and  thrones  and  dominions,  and  every  name  that 
is  named."  There  he  "  sees  of  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and  is 
satisfied."  There  his  exaltation  is  as  great  as  his  humilia- 
tion here  was  low.  Moreover,  in  the  second  place,  although 
the  sinner  is  set  free,  he  is  not  discharged  with  a  disposition 
unchanged  ;  for  in  the  very  moment  of  receiving  his  pardon 
his  heart  is  renewed,  so  that  he  hates  his  sin,  and  turns  from 
it  to  God,  seeking  ever  after  "  to  live  soberly,  righteously,  and 
godly  in  this  present  world."  So  by  the  sacrificial  death  of 
Christ,  no  injury  is  inflicted  on  any ;  the  sufferer  is  compen- 
sated ]  the  sinner  is  regenerated ;  the  law  is  magnified,  and 
God  is  glorified. 

But,  beaten  back  from  this  stronghold,  they  who  repudiate 
the  doctrine  that  Christ's  death  was  a  vicarious  sacrifice,  still 
minding  the  things  that  be  of  men  more  than  the  things  that 
be  of  God,  say,  "  Is  not  God  a  father  ?  Why,  then,  should  he 
not  forgive  his  children  on  the  simple  expression  of  their 
penitence,  and  without  an  atonement?"  To  which  we  an- 
swer, God  is  a  father.  But  he  is  a  poor  father  who  is  not  at 
the  same  time  a  governor.  Every  one  knows  how  rebellious 
children  become  when  their  misdeeds  are  passed  over  on 
the  mere  expression  of  their  sorrow ;  and  if  God  had  acted 
in  this  way  with  his  human  creatures,  the  result  would  have 
been  the  dishonor  of  his  administration,  and  the  triumph  of 


104  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

evil  in  the  world.  It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  God  stands 
to  his  creatures  in  the  twofold  relation  of  king  and  father, 
and  in  his  fatherly  dealings  with  his  children  he  can  not  di- 
vest himself  of  his  governmental  character.  While  as  a  ruler 
he  has  beneath  his  royal  robes  a  paternal  heart,  it  is  no  less 
true  that  as  a  father  he  has  to  maintain  the  administration 
of  the  king. 

Now,  we  know  how  rampant  crime  becomes  when,  through 
carelessness,  or  partiality,  or  treachery,  the  criminal  is  per- 
mitted to  go  unpunished ;  and  if  God  were  to  wipe  out  guilt 
on  the  mere  expression  of  penitence — a  thing,  by-the-way, 
which  no  earthly  judge  would  do— the  resultant  evil  would 
be  tremendous.  Hence,  we  have  only  to  admire  the  match- 
less wisdom  of  that  wondrous  plan  whereby,  at  the  very  in- 
stant of  his  receiving  forgiveness,  the  sinner,  seeing  the 
foundation  of  his  pardon  in  the  Cross,  is  led  to  hate  his  in- 
iquities, and  in  every  moment  of  temptation  beholds  the  face 
of  Jesus  between  him  and  the  enticement,  and  hears  him 
say,  "  Oh,  do  not  this  abominable  thing  that  I  hate.  Wilt 
thou  crucify  me  afresh  and  put  me  to  an  open  shame  ?" 

Thus  have  I  passed  under  review  the  most  common  ob- 
jections to  the  doctrine  that  the  death  of  Christ  was  a  vica- 
rious sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  men,  and  shown  you  that  those 
who  entertain  them  are  following  mere  human  analogies, 
which,  after  all,  are  either  false  or  defective,  and  so  are 
minding,  like  Peter,  "  the  things  that  be  of  men  more  than 
those  that  be  of  God." 

It  is  time  now  that  I  should  turn  briefly  to  the  practi- 
cal department  of  the  subject  suggested  by  the  instructions 
which  Jesus  gave  on  this  occasion.  The  law  of  the  cross  is 
the  law  of  the  kingdom.  True,  there  is  not  one  of  us  who 
can  endure  the  cross  in  the  same  precise  sense  as  Jesus  did, 
for  he  suffered  "  the  just  for  the  unjust,"  and  by  his  stripes 
men  are  "healed."    But  still  the  disciple  must  be  as  his  Lord 


The  Rebuke.  105 

in  so  far  that  he  has  to  lay  his  account  with  hardship,  and 
must  prepare  for  antagonism.  It  is  not  all  plain  sailing  in 
the  Christian  life.  He  who  would  cross  this  ocean  also 
must  prepare  for  storms,  for  so  the  law  runs  :  "  If  any  man 
be  willing  to  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself  and  take 
up  his  cross  and  follow  me."  What  honesty  have  we  here ! 
The  Lord  will  not  seek  men's  allegiance  upon  false  pretenses. 
He  is  not  like  the  recruiting -sergeant  at  the  country  fair, 
who  tries  to  allure  the  gaping  rustics  to  join  the  army  by 
painting  in  glowing  colors  the  romance  of  the  soldier's  life, 
and  telling  of  this  one  and  that  one  who  rose  from  the  ranks 
until  he  bore  the  star  of  a  duke  upon  his  breast,  and  carried 
the  baton  of  a  marshal  in  his  hands  ;  while  he  carefully  con- 
ceals the  discomforts  of  the  barracks,  the  exhaustion  of  the 
march,  the  hardships  of  the  camp,  and  the  dangers  of  the 
battle-field.  On  the  contrary,  he  sets  before  them  all  that 
they  shall  have  to  encounter,  saying,  "  In  the  world  ye  shall 
have  tribulation  ;"  but  beyond  that,  and  as  the  result  of  that, 
he  shows  them  the  crown,  promising  "to  him  that  over- 
cometh,"  a  seat  with  him  upon  his  throne.  He  puts  the  two 
together.  It  is  not  all  cross  and  no  crown  ;  but  neither  is 
it  all  crown  and  no  cross.  It  is  after  the  cross,  the  crown  ; 
and  the  heavier  the  cross,  the  brighter  the  crown. 

Yet  let  us  be  on  our  guard  here  against  mistaking  our 
Lord's  meaning,  for  we  are  not  to  make  crosses  for  ourselves, 
or  to  cultivate  self-denial  merely  for  its  own  sake.  A  false 
reading  of  this  verse  has  sent  many  an  ardent  spirit  into  a 
convent,  and  tempted  many  devout  souls,  like  Pascal,  to  the 
practice  of  ascetic  austerities,  for  no  other  reason  than  be- 
cause they  were  disagreeable  to  the  flesh.  But  when  the 
Lord  said,  "Let  him  deny  himself,"  he  did  not  mean  that 
the  disciple  was  to  inflict  upon  himself  flagellations  with  the 
scourge,  or  deny  the  body  its  necessary  food.  He  meant 
something  far  deeper  and  more  important  than  that ;  namely, 

5* 


io6  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

that  he  should  renounce  self  as  the  ruler  of  his  spirit,  and 
that  he  should  take  Christ  instead.  And  when  he  said, 
"  Let  him  take  up  his  cross  daily,"  his  words  imply,  not  that 
the  Christian  is  to  make  a  cross  for  himself  according  to  his 
own  fancy,  but  rather  that  he  should  lift  and  carry  that  par- 
ticular cross  which  the  Lord  hath  laid  on  him  for  that  day, 
whether  it  be  the  ridicule  of  his  companions,  or  the  loss  of 
his  profits,  or  the  persecution  of  his  enemies.  And  while  he 
is  bearing  that,  he  is  to  think  of  Jesus,  and  seek  to  follow 
him,  who,  "  when  he  was  reviled,  reviled  not  again  ;  when 
he  suffered,  he  threatened  not,  but  committed  himself  to  him 
that  judgeth  righteously." 

Ah !  my  brethren,  we  who  have  begun  the  Christian  life 
already  know  what  this  means ;  for  though,  as  John  Newton 
used  to  say,  "  the  first  stage  of  Christian  experience  is  one 
of  joy  and  peace,"  it  is  also  true,  as  the  same  great  and  good 
man  was  wont  to  affirm,  that  "  the  second  is  one  of  conflict." 
The  earnest  believer  very  soon  discovers  that  his  life  is  to 
be  a  fight,  and  Christ  here  would  prepare  him  beforehand, 
so  that  when  it  comes  he  may  not  be  tempted  to  run  away. 
If  Jesus  "pleased  not  himself"  in  order  that  he  might  save 
us,  we  are  to  give  up  self-pleasing  and  self-seeking  in  order 
that  we  may  serve  him.  If  he  endured  the  cross,  despising 
the  shame,  in  order  that  he  might  deliver  us,  we  are  to  take 
up  our  cross  in  order  that  we  may  honor  him.  And  when 
we  look  upon  our  trials  thus,  they  are  more  easily  borne. 

It  is  told  of  Charles  Simeon,  of  Cambridge,  that  in  the 
early  days  of  his  ministry  there,  he  was  assailed  with  such 
ridicule  and  scorn  by  the  enemies  of  evangelical  truth,  that 
he  was  almost  tempted  to  give  up  his  post,  and  retire  to  some 
spot  where  he  could  escape  their  attacks.  But  just  at  that 
time,  when  walking  in  the  gardens  of  one  of  the  colleges,  he 
came  in  his  Greek  Testament  to  the  verse  which  reads  thus  : 
"They  laid  hold  of  one  Simeon  of  Cyrene,  and  him  they 


The  Rebuke.  107 

compelled  to  bear  his  cross."  In  this  Simeon  he  saw  him- 
self, and  so  with  joy  he  took  the  after-onsets  of  his  adversa- 
ries, for  he  saw  in  them  the  cross  he  was  carrying  for  Christ. 
Let  us  learn  from  his  example,  and  take  with  patience,  nay, 
with  gladness,  these  hardships  which  come  upon  us  for  our 
allegiance  to  Christ.  Only  let  us  see  that  it  is  for  Christ, 
and  not  for  our  own  glory,  or  self-conceit,  or  evil  temper, 
that  we  are  called  to  suffer,  and  then  the  nails  of  our  cross 
lose  all  their  sharpness. 

But  some  one  may  say,  "  I  will  take  care  of  myself.  If  the 
following  of  Christ  entails  all  these  things  upon  me,  they  may 
follow  him  who  will ;  I  will  take  another  course."  Yes,  but 
then,  what  will  be  the  issue  ?  The  Christian's  warfare  comes 
first,  and  then  he  has  his  reward,  and  that  is  everlasting. 
Your  enjoyment  comes  first,  and  then  you  have  your  punish- 
ment, and  that  is  eternal.  To  seek  to  save  yourself  from 
present  hardship  thus,  is  to  incur  at  length  everlasting  mis- 
ery, for  he  that  loveth  his  life  thus  shall  lose  it ;  and  oh, 
the  dreadful  loss  !  "  For  what  is  a  man  profited,  if  he  shall 
gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his  own  soul  ?"  The  world 
can  not  satisfy  our  infinite  spiritual  longings,  for  "  God  has 
made  us  for  himself,  and  our  souls  are  restless,  until  they 
rest  themselves  in  him."  Nay,  even  if  the  world  could  con- 
tent the  heart,  the  soul  will  outlast  it,  for  the  day  is  coming 
when  the  world  and  all  that  is  therein  shall  be  burned  up ; 
but  even  then  the  spirit  of  each  man  shall  be  immortal  as 
God  himself.  Woe's  me !  at  that  day  for  him  whose  only 
treasure  is  the  world.  For  then  it  will  be  too  late  to  obtain 
the  true  riches,  and  the  loss  will  be  irreparable.  The  loss 
of  the  soul !  The  loss  of  the  soul !  It  is  not  the  end  of  be- 
ing ;  it  is  the  end  of  well-being,  for  it  is  the  eternal  sever- 
ance of  the  soul  from  God. 

Who  that  has  read  can  ever  forget  those  weird  sentences 
of  Richter  which  Carlyle  has  translated  in  one  of  his  articles. 


io8  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

and  in  which  he  depicts  the  utter  misery  of  a  soul  groping 
through  outer  darkness  in  search  of  a  rest  that  will  not 
come,  sending  out  its  longings  ceaselessly,  like  blazing  rock- 
ets signaling  distress,  in  the  midnight  of  its  despair,  and  cry- 
ing evermore,  "  O  God !  O  God !  where  is  thine  infinite  bo- 
som that  I  might  rest  myself  thereon?"  And  even  these  sen- 
tences to  which  I  have  referred,  but  can  not  quote,  are  but 
a  feeble  description  of  the  immortal  misery  of  a  soul  that  is 
without  God.  Oh,  is  it  for  this  that  you  are  buying  the 
world's  happiness  to-day  ?  I  have  seen  many  a  foolish  bar- 
gain made  on  earth,  but  none  so  infinitely  foolish  as  this. 
To  give  for  a  few  years  of  an  enjoyment  which  yields  no 
substantial  delight  all  your  felicity  for  eternity !  You  are 
purchasing  your  earthly  comfort  and  sinful  pleasures  at  too 
dear  a  price. 

If  Jesus  gave  his  blood  for  your  soul,  why  should  you  sell 
it  for  a  darling  sin,  or  put  it  in  jeopardy  to  save  yourself 
from  a  little  hardship  ?  You  talk  of  self-denial  as  if  it  were 
a  dreadful  thing ;  but  our  self-denial  is  nothing  to  yours. 
You  deny  yourselves  the  pleasures  of  holiness,  which  are 
enduring  ;  we  deny  ourselves  the  pleasures  of  sin,  which 
are  evanescent.  You  deny  yourselves  the  approval  of  con- 
science and  the  assurance  of  God's  favor  ;  we  deny  ourselves 
remorse  with  its  gnawing  anguish,  and  fear  with  its  horrible 
forecastings.  You  deny  yourselves  that  peace  at  death  which 
springs  from  the  persuasion  that  to  depart  is  to  be  with 
Christ,  which  is  far  better ;  we  deny  ourselves  a  thorn-filled 
pillow  on  our  death -beds.  You  deny  yourselves  the  glad 
invitation,  "  Come,  ye  blessed  ;  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared 
for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world  ;"  we  deny  ourselves 
the  withering  malediction,  "  Depart,  ye  cursed,  into  everlast- 
ing fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels."  The  path 
of  Christ  for  me  !  Even  if  it  lead  through  Calvary,  it  ends 
in  a  crown  of  glory  that  fadeth  not  away. 


VIII. 

ON  THE  HOL  V  MO  UNT. 

Matthew  xvii.,  1-9;  Mark  ix.,2-10;  Luke  ix.,  28-36. 

ABOUT  eight*  days  after  the  conversation  between 
Christ  and  his  apostles  which  formed  the  subject  of 
our  last  discourse,  and  while  yet  their  minds  were  earnestly 
engaged  with  the  startling  information  which  he  had  given 
them  concerning  his  sufferings  and  death,  the  Lord  took  Pe- 
ter and  James  and  John  apart  with  himself,  and  led  them  up 
"into  a  high  mountain."  To  these  three  of  his  disciples  the 
Saviour  was  drawn  by  a  peculiar  attraction  ;  so  that  when 
he  had  any  special  privilege  to  bestow,  he  generally  chose 
to  confer  it  upon  them.  Thus  they  were  selected  to  be  the 
witnesses  of  the  resurrection  of  the  daughter  of  Jairus  ;t  and 
they  were  honored  to  go  farthest  with  him  into  Gethsemane.$ 
It  is  as  vain  to  ask  for  the  reason  of  this  preference  as  it 
is  to  inquire  why,  out  of  these  three,  one  was  known  as  "  the 
disciple  whom  Jesus  loved,"  and  was  permitted  to  lean  upon 
his  bosom.  There  were  doubtless  good  grounds  for  the  se- 
lection in  both  cases ;  but  whether  it  is  to  be  accounted  for 
by  the  supposition  that  these  chosen  ones  had  more  in  them 
in  common  with  the  Master  than  the  other  nine,  or  to  be  re- 
ferred to  the  absolute  sovereignty  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  it  is  not 
for  us  to  say. 

*  Matthew  says  six  days ;  but  the  reason  of  the  difference  between 
him  and  Luke  is  plain.  He  reckons  both  the  day  from,  and  the  day  to, 
which  he  is  calculating.    Luke  gives  the  nuniber  of  the  intervening  days. 

t  Mark  v.,  37,  \  Matt,  xxvi.,  37. 


no  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

The  place  to  which  he  led  them  has  usually  been  identi- 
fied with  Mount  Tabor ;  but  there  seem  to  be  insuperable 
objections  to  such  an  opinion.  Our  Lord  was  at  the  time 
of  Peter's  confession,  and  the  conversation  already  alluded 
to,  in  the  region  of  Cesarea  Philippi ;  but  Tabor  is  in  the 
south-east  of  Galilee,  and  there  is  no  record  of  any  journey 
intervening  between  the  incidents  referred  to  and  the  Trans- 
figuration ;  while  the  narrative  of  Mark*  makes  distinct  men- 
tion of  a  departure  thence,  and  a  journey  through  Galilee  im- 
mediately subsequent  to  the  descent  from  the  mount.  Be- 
sides, as  Ritter  has  said,t "  The  historical  data  which  we  pos- 
sess show  that  the  summit  of  Tabor  was  employed  without 
any  intermission  between  the  times  of  Antiochus  the  Great, 
B.C.  218,  and  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  under  Vespasian, 
as  a  stronghold,  and  was  by  no  means  the  scene  of  peace 
and  solitude  whither  one  would  flee  anxious  to  escape  the 
turmoil  of  the  world." 

We  are,  therefore,  constrained  to  lay  aside  the  tradition 
which,  taking  the  word  "  apart  ^'  in  the  narrative  as  qualify- 
ing the  mountain,  rather  than  the  persons  who  went  up  to  it, 
has  designated  Tabor  as  the  scene  of  this  wonderful  mani- 
festation of  celestial  glory ;  and  we  would  connect  it  with 
some  one  of  the  many  peaks  of  Hermon  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Cesarea  Philippi.  Hanna  has  given  us  the  follow- 
ing account  of  a  personal  inspection  of  the  locality :  "  Stand- 
ing upon  the  height  which  overlooks  Cesarea  Philippi,  I 
looked  around  upon  the  towering  ridges  which  Great  Her- 
mon, the  Sheikh  of  the  Mountains,  as  the  Arabs  call  it,  pro- 
jects into  the  plain.  Full  of  the  thought  that  one  of  these 
summits  on  which  I  gazed  had  in  all  probability  witnessed 


*  Mark  ix.,  30. 

t  "Comparative  Geography  of  Palestine,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  313.     I  am  in- 
debted for  the  quotation  to  Trench's  *'  Studies  on  the  Gospels,"  p.  192. 


On  the  Holy  Mount.  hi 

the  Transfiguration,  I  had  fixed  upon  one  of  them,  which, 
from  its  peculiar  position,  form,  and  elevation  might  aptly 
be  spoken  of  as  a  'high  mountain  apart,'  when,  casting  my 
eye  casually  down  along  its  sides  as  they  sloped  into  the 
valley,  the  remains  of  three  ancient  villages  appeared  dot- 
ting the  base.  I  remembered  how  instantly,  on  the  descent 
from  the  mountain  Jesus  had  found  himself  in  the  midst  of 
his  disciples  and  of  the  multitude,  and  was  pleased  at  ob- 
serving that  the  mountain-top  I  had  fixed  upon  met  all  the 
requirements  of  the  Gospel  narrative."*  The  comparison 
of  the  whiteness  of  the  Saviour's  raiment  to  snow  gives  ac- 
cidental corroboration  to  the  view  that  the  scene  occurred 
at  Hermon,  where  alone  in  Palestine  the  snow  could  be  seen. 
Up  the  sides  of  such  a  mountain  Jesus  led  his  three  apos- 
tles as  the  day  was  declining,  that  the  night  might  be  spent 
by  him  in  communion  with  his  Father.  He  gave  himself 
unto  prayer,  and  they,  heavy  with  slumber,  had  a  hard  bat- 
tle to  keep  themselves  awake  ;t  but,  having  overcome  their 
drowsiness,  they  were  rewarded  by  such  a  vision  as  mortal 
eyes  never  before  or  since  beheld.  For  the  fashion  of  the 
Lord's  countenance  was  altered,  his  raiment  became  white, 
flashing  out  like  lightning,  dazzling  as  the  snow  beneath  the 
sunlight.  We  are  reminded,  as  we  read,  of  the  case  of  Mo- 
ses as  he  came  down  from  the  mountain,  and  of  that  of  Ste- 
phen as  he  stood  pleading  his  cause  before  the  council ;  but 
both  of  these  shone  with  a  reflected  lustre,  giving  back  that 
which  they  had  first  received,  whereas  here  the  Saviour's  ra- 
diance came  from  within.  For  the  moment  the  glory  of  his 
Godhead  broke  through  the  veil  of  that  humanity  by  which 
on  earth  it  was  so  largely  concealed  ;  and  he  appeared  "  cov- 

*  Hanna's  "  Life  of  Christ  "—The  Ministry  in  Galilee,  p.  336. 

t  Alford  translates  diayptiyoprjaavrtg  (in  Luke  ix.,  32)  rightly  by  the 
words  "  having  kept  awake,"  and  so  vindicates  the  apostles  from  the  ac- 
cusation of  indifference. 


112  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

ering  himself  with  light  as  with  a  garment."  He  was  to 
meet  a  deputation  from  the  realms  of  glory,  and  it  became 
him  to  array  himself  in  his  celestial  state.  The  night  was 
filled  with  the  splendor ;  the  very  darkness  was  light  about 
them ;  and  not  all  at  once  could  the  privileged  spectators 
accommodate  their  vision  to  the  brightness.  But  when  they 
could  see  into  the  glory,  they  beheld  with  their  Master  two 
shining  ones,  whom  they  knew  to  be  Moses  and  Elijah,  and 
whom  they  heard  conversing  with  him  on  that  very  death 
which  had  been  so  distasteful  to  them,  and  for  deprecating 
which  Peter  had  drawn  upon  himself  such  a  startling  re- 
proof. It  was  such  a  spectacle  that  they  were  lifted  up  out 
of  themselves ;  and  Peter,  in  the  ecstasy  of  the  moment, 
and  in  his  own  hasty  manner,  from  the  best  of  motives,  but 
without  any  consideration  of  what  was  involved  in  his  re- 
quest, exclaimed,  "  It  is  good  for  us  to  be  here  ;  if  thou  wilt, 
let  us  make  here  three  tabernacles ;  one  for  thee,  and  one 
for  Moses,  and  one  for  Elias." 

He  felt  that  this  was  a  better  atmosphere  to  breathe 
than  that  in  which  for  the  past  days  he  had  been  moving. 
The  visible  glory  made  him  forget  for  the  time  the  cross 
through  which  alone  it  could  be  made  permanent,  and  he 
said,  "Let  us  stay  here.  Why  should  we  descend  again  to 
conflict  and  humiliation  ?"  But  even  as  he  spake,  a  bright 
cloud,  the  emblem  of  the  presence  of  Jehovah,  overshadowed 
them  all ;  and  as,  recognizing  the  nearness  of  the  great  I 
Am,  they  bent  in  lowly  reverence,  they  heard  the  words  from 
the  excellent  glory,  "  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am 
well  pleased  ;  hear  ye  him."  So  deeply  moved  were  they 
by  this  divine  testimony  and  admonition,  that  they  did  not 
venture  to  lift  themselves  from  the  earth  until  Jesus  came 
and  touched  them,  and  then,  when  they  raised  their  eyes, 
the  night  had  come  again,  and  they  saw  "  no  man,  save  Je- 
sus only." 


On  the  Holy  Mount.  113 

As  the  morning  broke  they  took  their  way  down  the 
mountain -side,  and,  because  of  their  own  imperfect  appre- 
hension of  the  meaning  of  what  they  had  seen,  no  less  than 
because  of  the  unprepared  condition  of  men's  minds  to  re- 
ceive their  report,  they  were  commanded  to  "tell  the  vision 
to  no  man  until  the  Son  of  man  be  risen  again  from  the 
dead." 

The  purposes  which  this  remarkable  occurrence  was  de- 
signed to  serve  will  appear  only  when  we  take  into  consid- 
eration the  different  individuals  of  whom  the  group  on  the 
mountain-top  was  composed.  So  far  as  Jesus  himself  was 
concerned,  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  it  was  meant  to 
sustain  him  through  the  dreadful  ordeal  of  Gethsemane  and 
Calvary.  In  the  near  future  of  his  ministry,  there  lay  before 
him  those  sufferings  and  that  death  of  which  he  had  so  re- 
cently spoken  to  his  followers ;  and  in  the  hour  of  that  aw- 
ful agony  when  his  sweat  was  as  great  drops  of  blood  falling 
heavily  upon  the  earth,  as  well  as  in  the  moment  of  that 
dreadful  loneliness  when  he  cried,  "  My  God,  my  God,  why 
hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?"  the  memory  of  this  voice  upon  the 
mount,  and  that  other  by  the  banks  of  the  Jordan,  must  have 
come  back  upon  his  spirit  with  re-assurance  and  consolation. 

Before  the  conflict  with  the  prince  of  darkness  in  the  wil- 
derness, the  vision  at  the  Baptism  was  given  to  inspirit  him 
for  the  fight ;  and  now  again,  just  before  he  set  out  on  his 
last  journey  to  Jerusalem,  and  when  he  had  the  near  pros- 
pect of  meeting  the  combined  assaults  of  earth  and  hell,  he 
is  comforted  and  cheered  by  the  words  of  Moses  and  Elijah, 
and  by  the  voice  from  the  eternal  Father.  If  there  be  a 
cross  before  us,  God  will  grant  us  also  a  transfiguration,  that 
we  may  not  flinch  in  the  time  of  trial.  He  "sendeth  none 
a  warfare  on  his  own  charges,"  and  the  glory  of  Hermon 
lightens  the  darkness  of  Gethsemane. 

The  presence  of  Moses  and  Elijah  was  designed  to  show 


114  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

that  the  old  dispensation  was  but  a  preparation  for  the  new. 
Moses  represented  the  law,  as  did  also  Elijah,  for,  strictly 
speaking,  the  Tishbite  was  rather  a  reformer  of  the  old  than 
a  prophet  of  the  new.  These  two,  therefore,  were  the  men 
who  might  naturally  have  been  supposed  to  be  most  zealous 
for  the  system  which  was  inaugurated  on  Sinai ;  but  even 
they  are  here  to  receive  honor  from  Christ,  and  yield  up  the 
palm  to  Christ.  Observe,  their  appearance  did  not  precede 
the  transfiguration  of  the  Lord.  The  change  on  Christ  came 
first,  then  his  glory  gave  brightness  and  distinctness  to  them  ; 
and  after  they  had  been  thus  illuminated,  they  retired  and 
left  him  alone,  the  master  of  the  new  dispensation.  Thus,  as 
I  attempted  to  show  in  my  discourse  on  this  subject  as  con- 
nected with  Elijah,*  the  special  significance  of  the  presence 
of  these  ancient  worthies  testifies  to  these  three  things,  name- 
ly, that  the  glory  of  Christ  is  intimately  connected  with  the 
decease  which  he  accomplished  at  Jerusalem  ;  that  Christ, 
so  glorified,  gives  new  radiance  to  that  old  history  and  law 
of  which  Moses  and  Elijah  were  the  noblest  representatives  ; 
and  that  the  ancient  law,  so  glorified  by  Christ,  is  seen  to 
have  served  its  purpose,  so  that  it  ceases  to  be  binding  on 
men's  consciences,  while  the  new  system  of  which  Jesus  is 
the  head  is  inaugurated  by  the  voice  from  the  throne,  of 
which  this  is  the  significance  :  "Moses  and  Elijah  were  my 
servants,  and  you  did  right  to  hear  them  ;  but  now  I  bring  to 
you  my  beloved  Son  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased:  hear  ye  him." 
Thus  viewed,  the  purport  of  the  Transfiguration  is  paral- 
lel to  the  argument  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  and  espe- 
cially to  that  of  its  first  two  chapters,  wherein  the  superiority 
of  Jesus  as  the  Son  is  made  a  reason  why  we  should  give 
the  more  earnest  heed  to  the  things  which  he  has  spoken, 
"  lest  at  any  time  we  should  let  them  slip." 

*  See  *'  Elijah  the  Prophet,"  pp.  195-209. 


On  the  Holy  Mount.  115 

One  object  secured  by  the  presence  of  Peter,  James,  and 
John  was  that  there  were  eye-witnesses  of  the  Redeemer's 
majesty  on  this  occasion,  when  for  a  brief  season  he  resumed 
his  regal  state.  But  while  that  was  a  matter  of  undoubted 
importance,  the  effect  produced  on  these  three  disciples 
themselves  must  not  be  overlooked  ;  and  to  obtain  a  correct 
idea  of  that,  we  must  take  into  account  the  conversations  in 
immediate  connection  with  which  the  Transfiguration  occur- 
red. The  Lord  had  asked  them  first,  "  Whom  do  men  say 
that  I  the  Son  of  man  am  ?"  and  they  had  replied,  "  Some 
say  that  thou  art  John  the  Baptist ;  some,  Elias ;  and  oth- 
ers, Jeremias,  or  one  of  the  prophets  f  and  now,  Moses  and 
Elijah  themselves  appear  doing  homage  to  Jesus,  and  setting 
that  matter  completely  at  rest. 

He  had  asked  again,  "  But  whom  say  ye  that  I  am  ?" 
whereupon  Peter,  speaking  for  the  band,  had  said,  "  Thou 
art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God ;"  and,  lo  !  as  they 
gazed  on  his  robe  of  light,  they  had  ocular  demonstration 
of  the  truth  to  which  Peter  confessed,  while  the  voice  out  of 
the  cloud  left  no  room  for  any  lingering  doubt  as  the  great 
God  himself  proclaimed,  "This  is  my  beloved  Son." 

Once  more  :  he  had  now,  for  the  first  time,  spoken  plainly 
to  them  of  his  sufferings  and  death ;  and  they  were  offended 
thereby ;  so  that  Peter,  in  their  name,  had  protested  against 
his  enduring  any  such  indignities  at  the  hands  of  men  ;  and 
all  had  marveled  at  the  force  of  the  reproof  which  he  had 
thereby  drawn  upon  his  head.  But,  behold !  when  Moses 
and  Elijah  come  from  heaven  to  hold  fellowship  with  Christ, 
it  is  of  this  very  death  they  speak.  They  say  nothing  of  the 
glory  of  his  miracles ;  they  utter  no  word  about  any  earthly 
monarchy,  such  as  that  which  his  followers  supposed  he  was 
about  to  found ;  they  have  no  conference  concerning  the 
conquest  of  Israel's  Roman  oppressors  ;  they  speak  only  of 
"the  decease  which  he  should  accomplish  at  Jerusalem." 


ii6  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

In  their  estimation,  that  was  the  central  point  in  his  career ; 
the  most  glorious  and  the  most  god-like  thing  he  was  to  do 
was  to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for  many,  for  thereby  he  was 
to  accomplish  an  Exodus*  more  far-reaching  in  its  results, 
and  more  illustrious  in  its  renown,  than  that  with  which  the 
name  of  Moses  is  imperishably  associated. 

The  effect  of  all  this  upon  the  listening  apostles  must 
have  been  great.  They  would  learn  at  once  that  in  the  dy- 
ing of  their  Lord  there  was  to  be  nothing  really  disgraceful 
to  him,  however  much  indignity  men  might  endeavor  to  con- 
nect with  it ;  and  though,  for  the  time,  they  might  not  be 
able  to  comprehend  how  the  death  of  the  Lord  could  be  a 
theme  of  such  interest  to  celestial  beings,  and  could  be  so 
intimately  associated  with  their  Master's  honor,  yet,  in  later 
days,  after  the  Holy  Ghost  had  been  conferred  upon  them, 
they  would,  through  their  remembrance  of  this  wonderful 
conversation,  be  enabled  to  understand  more  thoroughly  the 
mystery  as  well  as  the  majesty  of  the  cross. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  these  privileges  came  to  the 
three  apostles  in  the  wake  of  the  confession  which  Peter 
made  in  their  name  and  his  own.  The  whole  evidence  that 
exists  for  the  claims  of  Christ  upon  us  as  our  Redeemer  and 
Lord  is  not  to  be  expected  to  be  known  and  appreciated  by 
us  before  we  confess  him.  If  we  see  enough  to  convince  us 
that  he  is  the  Son  of  God,  then  let  us  take  means  to  publish 
that  conviction,  and  when  we  have  done  that,  he  will  take 
us  to  some  mountain-top  of  experience,  where  he  will  unveil 
his  glory  to  us,  and  give  us  an  unwavering  assurance  regard- 
ing him  that  will  resist  the  insinuations  of  the  skeptic  and 
the  assaults  of  the  gainsayer. 

Men  wait  for  this  before  they  make  their  confession,  even 
though  in  their  inmost  hearts  they  feel  that  Christ  has  an 

*  The  original  word  in  Luke  is  ttjv  t^odov,  the  Exodus. 


On  the  Holy  Mount.  117 

indubitable  claim  upon  them.  But  that  is  a  mistake.  Let 
them  confess  him  Jirsf,  and  then  there  will  come  to  them  the 
Mount  of  Transfiguration,  with  its  light  in  the  midst  of  dark- 
ness, to  confirm  them  in  so  much  of  their  confession  as  was 
true,  and  to  correct  that  which  in  it  was  false.  "  If  any  man 
be  willing  to  do  his  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine 
whether  it  be  of  God."  Act  up  to  the  light  which  you  at 
present  enjoy,  and  as  you  do  that,  new  light  will  come  to 
you.  The  way  to  the  top  of  the  transfiguration  mountain  is 
through  the  confession  of  the  Lord.  Ah !  if  I  could  only 
persuade  you  of  that,  how  many  among  you  who  are  already 
"disciples,  but  secretly,"  would  come  forth  and  avow  your- 
selves on  the  Lord's  side !  But  I  do  not  wish  you  to  take  it 
on  my  word.  Ask  any  one  of  those  who  out  of  sincere  af- 
fection to  him,  and  humble  confidence  in  him,  have  confessed 
Christ,  if  it  be  not  even  as  I  have  said,  and  they  will  corrob- 
orate my  assertion.  The  day  of  confession  ushers  in  a  new 
era  in  religious  experience,  and  from  that  hour  the  disciple 
rises  to  a  higher  life  in  Christ.  Try  it,  you  who  in  your 
hearts  are  already  yielding  yourselves  up  to  him,  and  after 
you  have  done  it,  and  not  long  after  it  either,  he  will  take 
you  with  him  unto  a  high  mountain  apart,  and  give  you  a 
vision  of  his  transfigured  glory. 

But  it  is  time  that  I  should  glance  a  little  at  some  of  the 
more  general  lessons  w^hich  we  may  learn  from  this  striking 
scene. 

And,  in  the  first  place,  we  are  reminded  by  it  that  seclu- 
sion is  needed  for  the  highest  sort  of  devotion.  Luke  tells 
us  that  the  transfiguration  of  the  Lord  took  place  as  he  was 
praying,  and  so  we  are  warranted  in  concluding  that  Jesus 
and  his  three  disciples  withdrew  to  the  mountain-top  for  spe- 
cial communion  with  God.  Nor  was  this  a  solitary  instance 
of  the  kind  ;  for  the  student  of  the  Gospel  narratives  is  struck 
by  the  frequency  with  which  they  record  the  facts  that  the 


ii8  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

Saviour  went  up  into  a  mountain  to  pray,  and  that  he  spent 
whole  nights  in  supplication.  Now,  if  he  who  had  no  sins 
to  confess  and  no  forgiveness  to  ask,  still  felt  it  needful  after 
his  toilsome  days  with  the  multitude  to  refresh  his  soul  by 
fellowship  with  Jehovah,  how  much  more  earnest  ought  we 
to  be  in  securing  seasons  for  devotional  retirement !  The 
very  activity  of  the  times  in  which  our  lot  is  cast  ought  to 
impel  us  to  use  means  for  keeping  the  closet  undisturbed ; 
yet  it  is  to  be  feared  that  by  many  of  us  the  privilege  of 
private  prayer  is  undervalued,  and  the  blessing  of  communion 
with  God  in  secret  is  unenjoyed. 

We  are  living  in  a  period  of  reaction  in  this  matter.  In 
former  times,  our  fathers,  Peter-like,  sought  to  erect  booths 
upon  the  mountain-top,  and  were  inclined  to  dwell  there  for- 
ever, forgetting  the  duty  which  they  owed  to  their  fellow-men 
in  the  streets  and  lanes  of  their  own  cities,  and  in  the  far 
lands  of  heathenism.  Hence,  as  we  read  their  treatises  and 
biographies  we  find  many  things  concerning  devotion,  and 
comparatively  few  concerning  work.  They  were  great  in 
meditation,  but  they  did  little  for  the  elevation  of  the  peo- 
ple around  them.  Now,  however,  a  wonderful  activrty  has 
sprung  up  among  Christians.  They  are  far  enough  yet,  in- 
deed, from  what  they  ought  to  be  in  that  respect ;  but  still 
they  are  greatly  in  advance  of  some  former  generations  ;  and 
in  their  consecration  to  these  works  of  faith  and  labors  of 
love  they  are  apt  to  ignore  the  closet  altogether. 

It  is  told  of  Clarkson  that  when,  on  a  Sabbath-day,  Wil- 
berforce  called  upon  him  and  found  him  busily  engaged  in 
some  work  connected  with  the  anti-slavery  enterprise,  the 
senator  said  to  him — "  Clarkson,  do  you  ever  think  upon 
your  own  soul  ?"  and  the  reply  was,  "  Wilberforce,  I  can 
think  of  nothing  about  myself  so  long  as  this  terrible  evil  is 
in  existence."  Now,  there  was  a  certain  nobleness  in  Clark- 
son's  words  ;  yet,  even  while  we  concede  that,  we  must  affirm 


On  the  Holy  Mount.  119 

that  he  was  wrong,  for  the  more  we  are  called  to  do  for  God 
in  the  service  of  our  generation,  the  more  earnestly  ought 
we  to  seek  stated  seasons  of  communion  with  him,  for 
thereby  only  can  we  keep  ourselves  in  the  proper  working 
spirit. 

It  was  after  the  Saviour  had  been  busiest  with  the  people 
that  we  find  him  withdrawing  from  them  for  fellowship  with 
his  Father,  and  the  more  we  have  to  do  for  the  Lord,  the 
oftener  should  we  seek  to  be  alone  with  him.  I  know  that 
we  may  have  genuine  fellowship  with  him  in  our  work,  and 
that  we  may  pray  to  him  anywhere,  in  the  brief,  ejacu- 
latory  manner  in  which  Nehemiah  called  upon  him,  even 
while  the  king's  cup  was  in  his  hand.  I  gladly  admit  the 
truth  of  all  that  is  advanced  in  that  direction  ;  but  still  that 
sort  of  fellowship  must  not  be  made  a  substitute  for  the 
other,  else  it  also  will  soon  drop  altogether  out  of  our  lives. 
The  fountain-head  of  devotion  is  in  the  closet.  If  we  keep 
that  full,  it  will  irrigate  the  entire  life,  and  at  every  favoring 
opportunity  its  waters  of  refreshment  will  bubble  up  to  glad- 
den us ;  but  if  we  let  that  run  dry,  the  whole  experience  of 
the  soul  will  speedily  become  withered  and  barren. 

Matthew  Henry  was  right  when  he  said  that  apostasy  from 
God  generally  begins  at  the  door  of  the  closet;  and  in  these 
days  of  holy  convocations,  when  every  day  in  the  week,  and 
many  times  in  a  day,  we  are  asked  to  take  part  in  some  pub- 
lic gathering  for  the  promotion  of  revival  or  the  advancement 
of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  we  need  to  be  warned  against 
the  danger  of  putting  such  engagements  in  the  place  of  the 
mountain-top.  Nothing  will  make  up  to  thee,  my  brother, 
for  the  neglect  of  that ;  therefore,  let  nothing  become  to  thee 
a  substitute  for  it.  He  who  is  stimulated  to  pray  long  in 
public,  but  has  no  relish  for  private  devotion,  never  prays  to 
God  at  all,  but  is  angling  in  his  supplications  for  the  ap- 
plause of  his  human  hearers.     So  I  make  the  closet,  rather 


I20  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

than  the  prayer-meeting,  the  test  of  individual  piety,  and  that 
alone  is  a  profitable  prayer-meeting  which  gives  to  every  one 
attending  it  a  new  relish  for  secret  prayer. 

In  the  second  place,  we  are  reminded  here  that  a  devo- 
tional spirit  sees  new  glory  in  Christ  and  in  his  Word.  When 
Peter  and  his  brethren  retired  apart  with  Christ,  he  was 
transfigured  before  them,  and  Moses  and  Elijah  shared  his 
brightness.  Now,  when  we  give  ourselves  to  the  devotional 
study  of  the  Scriptures,  new  radiance  breaks  forth  from  its 
pages  for  us.  I  think  one  reason  why  we  do  not  relish 
the  closet  as  we  ought  is  that  we  make  it  a  place  for  mere 
asking,  rather  than  for  the  study  of  Christ  and  his  salvation 
as  they  are  revealed  in  t|iis  book.  It  is  worthy  of  remark 
that,  in  the  Hebrew  language,  the  word  which  signifies  "to 
pray"  means  also  "to  meditate,"  proving  that  meditation 
ought  to  blossom  up  into  prayer,  and  that  prayer  ought  to 
have  its  root  in  meditation.  Yet  how  little  we  give  ourselves 
to  meditation  !  We  can  talk  with  a  friend  at  any  time  ;  we 
are  always  ready  to  take  up  an  interesting  book;  we  do  not 
object,  either,  to  give  loose  rein  to  our  imaginations  in  day- 
dreaming :  but  meditation — the  holding  of  our  minds  to  a 
certain  subject  until  we  have  discovered  the  principles  which 
underlie  it,  and  have  traced  its  applications  in  different  direc- 
tions— that  is  not  so  much  to  our  taste.  But  that  ought  to  be 
the  principal  exercise  of  the  closet,  and  in  the  prosecution 
of  that  every  Biblical  student  will  tell  you  that  he  has  often 
seen  Christ  transfigured,  and  that  frequently  Moses  and  the 
prophets  have  stood  out  before  him,  arrayed  in  a  glory  given 
to  them  by  the  Messiah.  Brethren,  there  are  few  joys  greater 
than  that  which  is  awakened  in  us  by  the  discovery  of  some 
new  beauty  in  Christ,  through  the  study  of  his  Word,  and  if 
you  will  only  give  yourselves  to  that  work  in  your  closet- 
hours,  you  will  be  rewarded  with  a  happiness  akin  to  that 
of  Peter  on  the  mount,  when,  in  listening  to  the  conversa- 


On  the  Holy  Mount.  121 

tion  of  the  glorified  triumvirate  on  the  death  of  Christ,  he 
said,  "  Master,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here." 

In  the  third  place,  we  are  reminded  that  devotion  is  not 
the  whole  of  life.  Peter  wanted  to  remain  on  that  summit 
altogether.  But  he  knew  not  what  he  said.  There  was  a 
world  to  be  redeemed,  and  how  could  that  be  accomplished 
if  Jesus  were  held  back  there  from  the  cross  ?  There  was, 
even  at  that  very  moment,  a  poor  demoniac  in  the  valley, 
waiting  their  descent,  in  order  that  he  might  be  cured.  No  ! 
it  could  not  be.  Before  Peter  himself  were  the  Pentecost, 
the  prison,  and  the  cross,  for  he  was  to  be  one  of  God's 
chosen  vessels  for  the  carrying  of  the  Gospel  to  mankind. 
The  present  hour  was  a  time  of  refreshment  preparatory  to 
a  life  of  labor,  and  he  must  leave  the  scene  of  privilege  for 
the  field  of  toil.  So  it  is  still.  Prayer  is  of  highest  value, 
and  the  ordinances  of  the  Church  can  hardly  be  overesti- 
mated j  but  we  can  not  be  always  enjoying.  No  doubt  there 
are  some  among  us  who  may  have  sung  at  a  communion 
season  or  elsewhere  these  lines — 

"  My  willing  soul  would  stay 
In  such  a  frame  as  this, 
And  sit  and  sing  itself  away 
Into  the  realms  of  bliss." 

Now  that  is  all  very  fine ;  but  it  is  just  as  nonsensical  as 
was  Peter's  proposal  here  to  erect  booths  upon  the  mountain- 
top.  The  devotional  is  meant  to  be  the  handmaid  of  the 
practical.  Prayer  is  not  a  mere  sentimental  thing.  Where- 
ever  it  is  so,  it  is  not  true  prayer.  But,  wherever  it  is  genu- 
ine, it  is  the  inspiration  to  work ;  and  we  who  have  been 
filled  with  ecstasy  by  the  vision  of  the  Christ  ought  to  go 
down  again  among  our  fellows,  and  seek  to  lift  them  up  with 
us  to  our  former  elevation.  Thus  the  active  and  the  con- 
templative balance  each  other  in  the  Christian  life.  The 
former  gives  new  zest  to  the  closet,  and  the  latter  gives  new 

6 


122  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

vigor  to  the  conduct ;  so  that  he  is  the  noblest  man  in  whom 
they  are  both  equally  developed. 

Finally,  we  are  reminded  here  that  devotion  furnishes 
support  for  the  performance  of  the  duties  and  the  endur- 
ance of  the  trials  of  life.  As  I  have  already  said,  the  Re- 
deemer himself,  even  in  the  garden  and  on  the  cross,  was 
upheld  by  the  remembrance  of  this  voice  from  the  midst  of 
the  cloud ;  and  we  know  that  Peter  long  after,  when  con- 
templating his  decease,  looked  back  upon  this  whole  scene 
as  one  of  the  strongest  verifications  of  the  Gospel  saying, 
"  We  have  not  followed  cunningly  devised  fables,  but  were 
eye-witnesses  of  his  majesty,  when  there  came  to  him  such 
a  voice  from  the  excellent  glory,  this  is  my  beloved  son  in 
whom  I  am  well  pleased ;  and  this  voice  which  came  from 
heaven  we  heard  when  we  were  with  him  in  the  holy  mount." 
Thus,  through  all  his  later  experiences,  the  memory  of  Her- 
mon's  glory  stayed  up  the  heart  of  the  apostle  and  sustained 
his  faith.  So  it  has  been  often  with  humbler  disciples  :  their 
discoveries  of  Christ  in  their  devotional  study  of  his  Word 
have  sustained  them  under  afflictions,  and  strengthened  them 
in  moments  of  temptation.  "  I  could  not  have  got  through," 
said  one  to  me,  during  the  money  panic  two  years  ago,  "  if  it 
had  not  been  for  prayer."  My  hearer,  do  you  know  any  thing 
of  such  an  experience  as  that  ?  Is  it  possible  that  you  are 
one  of  those  who  ridicule  prayer,  despise  the  Gospel,  and  dis- 
honor Jesus }  Well,  you  have  had  some  trials,  for  unbelief 
gives  you  no  exemption  from  them  ;  you  have  been  in  deep 
distress  without  Christ ;  you  have  just  come,  it  may  be,  out 
of  some  dreadful  agony,  in  which  you  could  not  recall  one 
single  promise  of  his  grace,  and  dared  not  lay  hold  upon  his 
hand  ?  How  was  it  with  you  then  ?  Would  you  like  to  go 
through  a  similar  ordeal  again  ?  Ah !  you  shudder  at  the 
very  thought ;  you  can  not  contemplate  such  a  thing  with- 
out terror.    Oh,  what  a  privilege  all  the  while  you  have  been 


On  the  Holy  Mount.  123 

denying  yourself  in  putting  Jesus  from  you  !  Give  him  your 
hand,  give  him  your  heart  to-night ;  and  as  the  weeks  re- 
volve he  will  show  you  more  and  more  of  his  grace,  and  take 
you  too  up  with  him  to  some  Hermon-top  of  glory,  the  mem- 
ory of  which  will  be  to  you  an  anchor  through  life,  and  the 
influence  of  which  will  bear  you  up  in  death. 


IX. 

THE  WASHING  OF  THE  FEET. 
John  xiii.,  1-17. 

PASSING  over  the  finding  by  Peter  in  a  fish's  mouth  of 
a  piece  of  money,  with  which,  by  the  command  of  the 
Lord,  he  paid  the  Temple  tribute,"^  and  merely  alluding  to 
the  question!  which  he  put  to  Jesus  as  to  the  frequency 
with  which  he  should  forgive  an  offending  brother,  we  come 
now  to  the  first  of  that  series  of  interesting  incidents  which 
culminated  in  his  denial  of  the  Lord.  From  Gaulonitis  the 
Saviour  had  gone  to  Galilee,  and  from  Galilee  he  had  set  his 
face  steadfastly  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  knowing  full  well  the 
things  that  should  befall  him  there.  At  first,  as  he  entered 
the  city  in  a  certain  kind  of  state,  he  had  been  received  with 
popular  enthusiasm ;  but  under  the  influence  of  their  selfish 
rulers  the  people  had  suddenly  cooled  in  their  attachment 
to  him,  and  the  week  whose  first  day  saw  his  triumphal 
entry,  witnessed  on  its  sixth  day  his  crucifixion  on  Calvary. 
It  was  now  the  afternoon  of  the  Thursday,  and  the  Master 
and  his  disciples  were  reclining  at  table,  in  the  upper  room 
which  Peter  and  John  had  prepared  for  their  celebration  of 
the  paschal  supper.  It  is  true,  indeed,  that  the  Evangelist 
John,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the  narrative  which  is 
now  before  us,  gives  no  account  of  the  institution  of  the 
Lord's  supper,  but  there  is  abundant  evidence  that  the  pass- 
over  here  spoken  of  was  that  at  the  close  of  which  he  in- 

*  Matt,  xvii.,  24-27.  t  Matt,  xviii.,  21. 


The  Washing  of  the  Feet.  125 

stituted  the  memorial  ordinance  which  is  still  so  dear  to  all 
his  followers. 

But  while  all  are  agreed  on  that,  there  has  been  much 
learned  discussion  over  the  question  whether  the  feast  here 
observed  by  Jesus  was  the  regular  Passover,  or  whether  he 
anticipated  that  by  a  day,  so  that  his  own  crucifixion  was 
simultaneous  with  the  time  of  the  offering  of  the  typical  lamb. 
And  some  have  attempted  to  prove  that  the  statements  of 
the  fourth  Evangelist  on  this  point  are  irreconcilably  opposed 
to  those  of  the  other  three.  Thus,  in  the  opening  verse  of 
this  chapter,  John  speaks  as  if  the  feast  of  the  Passover  were 
still  to  come;  and  in  a  later  passage  (xviii.,  28)  he  alleges 
that  the  Jews  would  not  go  "  into  the  judgment-hall  lest  they 
should  be  defiled,  but  that  they  might  eat  the  passover." 
Now  Matthew  (xxvi.,  17)  says  that  directions  were  given  for 
preparing  to  eat  the  passover  "  on  the  first  day  of  the  feast 
of  unleavened  bread;"  and  Mark  (xiv.,  12)  and  Luke  (xxii., 
7)  refer  to  "the  first  day  of  unleavened  bread,"  when  "the 
passover  must  be  killed." 

We  have  adopted  the  view  of  those  who  believe  that  Christ 
did  eat  the  passover  on  its  own  proper  and  appointed  day 
with  his  followers,  and  we  find  the  principle  of  harmony  be- 
tween the  sacred  writers  in  the  fact  that  by  the  term  "  pass- 
over"  the  first  three  Evangelists  commonly  mean  the  actual 
eating  of  the  paschal  lamb,  while  John  uses  it  in  a  broader 
sense,  to  signify  the  festivities  of  the  entire  week  of  unleaven- 
ed bread.  It  is  proper  to  say,  however,  that  this  opinion  is 
very  far  from  being  unanimously  accepted,  and  when  such 
authorities  as  Alford,  Pressense,  and  Farrar  are  on  the  other 
side,  it  w^ould  be  presumption  in  me  to  dogmatize  ;  but  twenty 
years  ago  I  had  the  privilege  of  reading  an  elaborate  article* 
on  this  question  by  the  late  Dr.  Robinson,  of  this  city,  and  I 

*  In  the  *'  Bibliotheca  Sacra"  for  August,  1845. 


126  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

have  found  his  argument  so  convincing  that  nothing  that  I 
have  read  since  then  has  disturbed  the  conclusion  to  which 
he  conducted  me. 

While  they  were  at  table  the  Lord  rose,  and  laid  aside  his 
upper  garment;  then,  girding  himself  with  a  towel,  and  tak- 
ing water  in  a  basin,  he  proceeded  to  wash  the  feet  of  his 
followers.  That  was  a  work  usually  done  by  servants  or 
slaves;  yet,  as  not  shoes  but  sandals  were  commonly  worn 
in  Palestine,  and  as  the  streets  and  highways  were  hot  and 
dusty,  the  washing  of  the  feet  was  a  great  comfort,  we  might 
even  say  a  great  luxury,  to  the  traveler ;  so  that,  when  he  en- 
tered the  house  of  his  friend,  the  earliest  courtesy  extended 
to  him  was  that  of  giving  him  water  for  his  feet.* 

To  a  Western  reader  it  seems  strange  that  Christ  should 
have  attempted  to  do  this  for  his  disciples  while  they  were 
at  table.  But  the  customs  of  the  Jews  at  that  date  were 
quite  different  from  those  which  now  prevail  among  us. 
The  guests  at  a  feast  were  arranged  along  three  sides  of  a 
parallelogram,  and  they  reclined  on  couches.  Leaning  on 
the  left  side,  each  one  had  his  right  hand  free  to  help  him- 
self to  the  food  prepared,  and  as  their  heads  were  toward  the 
table  their  feet  stretched  out  behind.  Hence,  one  could  go 
round  behind  them,  and  have  free  access  to  their  feet  with- 
out in  any  way  disturbing  their  repast.  It  was  in  this  man- 
ner that  the  woman  stood  at  Christ's  feet,  behind  him,  when 
he  was  in  the  house  of  Simon  the  Pharisee,t  and  began  to 
wash  them  with  her  tears,  even  while  the  entertainment  was 
going  on.  So,  in  the  present  instance,  while  the  apostles 
kept  their  places,  the  Lord  went  round  outside  and  washed 
their  feet.  They  were  amazed  at  his  procedure.  They  knew 
not  what  to  make  of  it.  But,  as  usual,  it  was  Peter  that  broke 
the  silence  with  which  they  were  all  stricken ;  for  when  the 

*  Luke  vii.,  44.  t  Luke  vii.,  38. 


The  Washing  of  the  Feet.  127 

Master  came  to  him,  the  impulsive  and  generous  apostle 
could  not  think  of  allowing  the  Son  of  God  to  do  for  him  the 
office  of  a  slave,  and  said,  "  Lord,  dost  thou  wash  my  feet  ?" 
To  this  the  Saviour  responded,  "  What  I  do  thou  knowest 
not  now,  but  thou  shalt  know  hereafter."  As  if  he  had  said, 
"  Submit  to  it  now,  and  in  a  very  short  time  you  will  see  the 
significance  of  my  act."  Still  the  erratic  disciple  would  not 
consent.  He  replied,  with  even  more  emphasis  than  before, 
"Thou  shalt  never  wash  my  feet."  But  the  Master  would 
not  argue  with  him.  He  simply  said,  "  If  I  wash  thee  not, 
thou  hast  no  part  with  me."  And  when  it  was  put  thus  to 
him,  there  was  no  longer  any  hesitation — nay,  in  the  exuber- 
ance of  his  desire  to  manifest  his  determination  to  have 
part  with  Christ,  he  answered, "  If  it  is  urged  by  thee  on  that 
ground,  I  am  ready  for  any  thing.  Wash  not  my  feet  only, 
but  also  my  hands  and  my  head."  But  that,  again,  was  too 
much.  True  obedience  is  the  doing  of  the  very  thing  com- 
manded— neither  more  nor  less;  and  in  this  overplus  of  zeal 
there  was  as  much  to  blame  as  there  had  been  in  his  refusal 
to  be  washed  at  all.  So  the  Lord  checked  that  also  with  the 
words,  "  He  that  is  washed  needeth  not  save  to  wash  his 
feet,  but  is  clean  every  whit;  and  ye  are  clean,"  but,  with  a 
suggestive  arrow  aimed  at  the  conscience  of  Judas,  he  adds, 
"not  all." 

No  one  can  read  this  narrative  without  observing  the  dis- 
tinct and  consistent  individuality  which  is  given  to  Peter  by 
all  the  sacred  writers.  By  whomsoever  of  them  he  is  de- 
scribed, whether  by  Matthew  or  Luke,  by  Mark  or  Paul,  or 
by  his  beloved  friend  and  coadjutor,  John,  you  have  the  same 
characteristics  delineated.  He  is  always  a  man  of  impulse ; 
and  when  he  sees  he  has  made  a  mistake,  he  is  so  eager  to 
rectify  it  that  he  runs  right  into  the  opposite  extreme.  He 
is  as  explosive  as  nitro-glycerine,  and  while  occasionally  the 
force  of  the  blast  clears  away  some  rock  of  offense,  just  as 


128  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

frequently  it  imperils  the  safety  of  those  by  whom  he  is  sur- 
rounded. He  is  constantly  uttering  right  things,  but  he  very 
often  utters  them  at  the  wrong  time;  so  that  the  criticism 
once  made  on  an  eccentric  Scottish  minister  might  have 
been  pronounced  on  him  :  "  He  is  instant  in  season,  and  out 
of  season,  but  especially  out  of  season."  Yet,  withal,  he  was 
so  affectionate  and  so  honest,  that  one  is  almost  ready  to 
forgive  his  mistakes  for  the  sake  of  the  magnanimity  with 
which  he  committed  them,  and  the  motive  by  which  he  was 
actuated.  Here,  for  example,  we  can  see  that  his  blunder 
sprung  out  of  the  very  reverence  in  which  he  held  his  Lord. 
In  his  wonted  impetuosity,  he  did  not  stay  to  remember  that 
obedience  is  better  than  sacrifice,  and  that  the  truest  respect 
we  can  pay  to  the  Lord  Jesus  is  to  have  implicit  confidence 
in  him,  and  to  give  unquestioning  allegiance  to  him.  Still, 
in  his  own  blind,  blunt  way  he  was  trying  to  show  his  love  to 
Christ,  and  to  reveal  the  exalted  conception  which  he  had  of 
his  greatness.  Hence,  whenever  he  was  told  that  washing 
was  essential  to  having  part  in  Christ,  he  yielded  in  a  mo- 
ment; nay,  he  would  be  all  washed,  and  so  he  swung  to  an 
excess  of  submission  which  was  as  faulty  as  his  refusal  had 
been. 

Now,  this  distinctness  and  consistency  of  individuality 
which  we  mark  in  Peter,  wherever  we  meet  him  in  the  New 
Testament,  is  a  striking  proof,  all  the  more  striking  because 
it  is  incidental,  of  the  credibility  of  the  sacred  writers.  The 
highest  triumph  of  dramatic  genius  is  secured  when  the  poet 
is  able  to  give  through  the  actions  of  his  characters  a  sep- 
arate and  easily  recognized  identity  of  disposition  to  each 
person  whom  he  represents.  Some  have  attempted  to  ac- 
complish this  by  putting  certain  words  into  a  man's  lips, 
which  he  is  made  to  speak  on  all  occasions  ;  others  have 
tried  to  attain  it  by  stamping  the  individual  with  some  exter- 
nal mark,  such  as  provincialism  of  dialect,  or  stammering  in 


The  Washing  of  the  Feet.  129 

speech ;  but  the  unapproachable  eminence  of  Shakespeare 
is  apparent  in  the  fact  that  he  has  succeeded  in  allowing  his 
greatest  characters  to  develop  themselves  before  us  in  a  nat- 
ural yet  consistent  manner,  so  that  we  feel  that  we  recognize 
them  at  each  reappearance.  Even  he,  however,  has  not  al- 
ways accomplished  that.  But  here,  in  the  Gospel  narratives, 
and  in  the  apostolic  history,  the  sacred  writers  have  done  it 
successfully  for  the  chief  actors  whom  they  introduce  to  our 
notice.  You  can  not  mistake  John  for  Peter,  or  Peter  for  Paul, 
or  Paul  for  Barnabas.  Each  has  his  own  distinct  individu- 
ality ;  and  that  is  given  to  him  without  any  attempt  on  the 
part  of  the  writers  to  describe  him  to  us.  So  far  as  I  know, 
Barnabas  is  the  only  one  of  those  whom  I  have  named  of 
whom  we  have  any  thing  like  a  description,  and  even  of  him 
the  historian  only  says,  "  He  was  a  good  man."  They  are  al- 
lowed to  define  themselves  to  us  by  their  words  and  actions, 
and  yet  each  stands  out  before  us  in  living  distinctness,  and 
is  never  found  acting  out  of  character.  Here,  for  example,  is 
Peter,  who  figures  prominently  in  the  works  of  Matthew,  Mark, 
Luke,  and  John,  and  in  one  of  the  letters  of  Paul.  Five  writers, 
distinct  from  each  other,  producing  their  works  at  separate 
times,  and  entirely  independently  of  each  other,  represent  him 
in  distinct  situations.  John  has  shown  him  in  circumstances 
of  which  the  other  three  are  silent ;  Luke  has  things  about 
him  of  which  Mark  and  Matthew  say  nothing;  and  Paul  has 
referred  to  his  action  at  a  time  of  which  none  of  the  others 
have  any  account;  yet  in  them  all  Peter  stands  out  before 
us  the  same  man,  easily  recognizable  by  those  features  which 
I  have  tried  to  describe.  Here,  therefore,  are  five  authors 
working  separately  and  independently,  yet  they  produce  in 
their  portrayal  of  Peter  a  dramatic  unity  of  character  which 
has  been  secured  in  poetry  only  by  the  loftiest  genius,  and  not 
always  even  by  that.  How  shall  we  account  for  this?  We 
can  not  explain  it,  if  these  records  are  forgeries,  or  have  to 

6=^ 


130  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

do  with  things  which  did  not  occur.  We  can  account  for  it 
only  on  the  supposition  that  each  of  these  five  men  was  de- 
scribing real  occurrences  in  the  history  of  a  real  man,  and 
thus  we  have  a  valuable  branch  of  corroborative  evidence  in 
behalf  of  the  genuineness  and  credibility  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment Scriptures. 

But,  while  we  give  due  attention  to  the  important  bearing 
of  the  consistency  with  which  Peter's  character  is  revealed 
to  us  by  the  sacred  writers,  on  the  question  of  the  reliability 
of  the  record,  we  must  not  lose  sight  of  the  contrast  here 
suggested  by  the  Saviour's  words,  "  but  not  all,"  between  the 
disposition  of  Peter  and  that  of  Judas.  The  traitor  was  pres- 
ent all  through  this  singular  ministry  of  Jesus  to  his  follow- 
ers ;  and  as  we  see  from  one  of  the  early  verses  of  the  chap- 
ter (John  xiii.,  2),  he  had  already  formed  the  determination 
to  betray  the  Lord,  yet  he  made  no  objection  to  the  washing 
of  his  feet.  He  accepted  this  token  of  his  Master's  affec- 
tion as  a  thing  of  course.  The  mere  onlooker  might  have 
preferred  his  demeanor  to  that  of  Peter,  but  in  reality  there 
was  a  tremendous  difference  between  the  two  men;  and 
though  we  can  not  give  Peter  unqualified  praise,  yet  it  is  bet- 
ter far  to  have  his  honest  impulsiveness,  even  if  it  do  blunder 
now  and  then,  than  the  cunning  duplicity  of  Judas  ;  though, 
of  course,  it  is  still  better  to  have  the  calm  and  trustful  sub- 
mission of  John  and  the  others,  who  let  the  Lord  do  to  them 
as  he  pleased,  and  waited  for  his  explanation  in  his  own 
time. 

But  now  let  us  ask  what  the  meaning  of  the  Saviour  in 
this  enigmatical  action  was.  He  has  told  us  himself  in  these 
j  words,  "  Know  ye  what  I  have  done  unto  you  ?  Ye  call  me 
I  Master  and  Lord  :  and  ye  say  well,  for  so  I  am.  If  I  then, 
lyour  Lord  and  Master,  have  washed  your  feet,  ye  also  ought 
to  wash  one  another's  feet.  For  I  have  given  you  an  ex- 
ample, that  you  should  do  as  I  have  done  to  you.     Verily, 


The  Washing  of  the  Feet.  131 

verily,  the  servant  is  not  greater  than  his  lord,  neither  he 
that  is  sent  greater  than  he  that  sent  him."  He  had  conde- 
scended to  do  for  them  the  office  of  a  slave,  and  so  they 
ought  to  perform  similar  offices  for  each  other.  Christian 
disciples  are  to  help  each  other  even  if,  in  doing  that,  they 
should  sometimes  require  to  stoop  to  the  lowly  position  of  a 
servant.  That  seems  to  me  to  be  the  general  lesson  which 
our  Lord  meant  to  teach  on  this  occasion,  but  we  must  be- 
ware of  frittering  away  its  force  by  restricting  it  to  one  stated 
sort  of  service. 

We  read  that  Thomas  a  Becket  had  "thirteen  poor  men 
daily  introduced  into  his  apartment,  at  the  hour  w^hen  they 
were  least  likely  to  be  observed,  and,  having  washed  and 
kissed  their  feet,  he  regaled  them  with  a  plentiful  meal,  at 
which  he  himself  waited  on  them,  and  sent  them  away  with 
a  present  of  four  pieces  of  silver  to  each  ;"*  and  we  are  told 
that  on  a  certain  day  of  high  ceremonial  the  Bishop  of  Rome 
washes  the  feet  of  twelve  men.  Now,  it  is  to  be  presumed 
that  Becket  was  sincere,  and  that  the  Pope  is  sincere,  in  the 
desire  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  the  Lord.  But,  in  all  such 
services  as  these,  the  repetition  of  the  letter  of  the  Lord's 
example  is  mistaken  for  the  manifestation  of  the  spirit  which 
breathed  through  the  Master's  act.  The  outward  thing  which 
he  did  is  done  again  once  every  day,  or  once  every  year,  as 
the  case  may  be,  while  that  which  he  really  enjoined  was  the 
constant  exercise  of  that  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  w^hich  under- 
lay and  inspired  his  action.  In  the  mere  externalism  of 
such  ceremonials  as  these,  the  force  of  the  Saviour's  in- 
junction is  restricted  to  one  special  work,  performed  at  some 
particular  time,  while  he  designed  it  to  have  free  course 
through   all   the  life.     He   meant  that   as   his  disciples  we 


*  "  Becket,    Archbishop    of   Canterbury ;    a   Biography,"  by  James 
Craigie  Robertson,  M.A.,  p.  58. 


132  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

should  always  seek  to  serve  each  other,  even  if  in  doing  so 
we  should  have  to  lay  aside  our  dignity,  or  to  deny  ourselves 
our  wonted  comforts,  or  even  to  lay  down  our  lives.  Such 
an  act  as  that  of  Becket's,  no  matter  how  sincerely  it  was  per- 
formed, bears  to  the  example  of  our  Saviour  here  the  same 
relation  that  a  portrait  does  to  a  man :  it  is  a  likeness,  but 
it  wants  the  life ;  it  catches  one  expression  of  the  original 
and  it  fixes  that,  but  it  gives  no  conception  of  the  manifold 
aspects  of  which  it  was  capable.  There  is  an  immense  dif- 
ference between  a  copy  and  an  imitation.  The  copyist  works 
from  without,  and  reproduces  the  external  appearance ;  the 
imitator  labors  from  within,  and,  catching  the  spirit,  he  lets 
that  work  itself  out  as  it  may.  We  are  not  to  copy  Christ, 
for  every  copy  will  turn  out  to  be  a  caricature  ;  but  we  are 
to  let  "  this  mind  be  in  us  which  was  also  in  him,"  and  then 
the  ever-varying  circumstances  of  our  lives  will  furnish  new 
opportunities  for  the  development  of  the  principles  on  which 
the  Master  acted. 

But  while  all  this  is  true,  I  can  not  help  thinking  that  the 
words  of  our  Lord  to  Peter,  ere  yet  he  began  to  expound  the 
significance  of  his  act  to  the  apostles,  suggest  a  certain  spe- 
cial spiritual  application  of  this  general  lesson  of  love  and 
self-sacrifice.  He  said,  in  answer  to  that  disciple's  request 
to  have  his  head  and  his  hands  washed  as  well  as  his  feet, 
"  He  that  is  washed,  needeth  not  save  to  wash  his  feet,  but 
is  clean  every  whit,  and  ye  are  clean,  but  not  all."  Now  the 
one  word  "  wash"  in  this  text  is  used  as  the  English  equiva- 
lent for  two  distinct  Greek  terms.  The  first  time  it  occurs, 
"  he  that  is  washed,"  it  is,  literally  (6  XeXov/diyog),  "  he  that 
has  been  bathed."  The  second  time  it  appears,  "  needeth 
not  save  to  wash  his  feet,"  it  is  (vixPaffdai)  the  exact  equiv- 
alent of  our  word  to  "wash."  The  one  verb  denotes  the 
washing  of  the  body  as  a  whole,  the  other  the  cleansing 
of  any  part  of  the  body  as  distinguished  from  the  whole. 


The  Washing  of  the  Feet.  133 

In  its  literal  application  it  implies  that  he  who  has  gone 
fresh  from  his  own  bath  to  the  house  of  his  host  needs 
not  to  be  bathed  again,  but  requires  only  to  have  re- 
moved from  his  feet  the  dust  which  they  have  contracted  in 
his  walk. 

But  from  the  expression  of  the  Lord,  "  Ye  are  clean,  but 
not  all,"  it  is  plain  that  he  meant  the  whole  sentence  to  be 
taken  spiritually.  And  if  this  be  so,  then  its  significance 
may  be  thus  expressed :  He  who  has  been  once  renewed 
by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  does  not  require  to  be  re- 
newed again.  A  man  is  born  but  once  spiritually,  even  as 
he  is  born  but  once  naturally.  Regeneration  needs  not  to 
be  repeated.  All  that  one  needs  after  that  is  to  have  his 
feet  washed ;  that  is,  to  have  removed  from  him  the  impuri- 
ties which  adhere  to  him  in  consequence  of  his  having  to 
walk  daily  through  this  defiUng  world. 

Now  this  we  Christians,  even  at  the  cost  of  our  dignity 
and  comfort,  must  do  for  each  other.  Doubtless  there  is  a 
sense  in  which  Christ  alone  can  take  away  sin ;  yet  when 
one  is  overtaken  in  a  fault,*  Paul  exhorts  those  who  are 
spiritual  to  restore  such  a  one  in  the  spirit  of  meekness. 
Therefore  that  is  the  specific  form  in  which,  as  interpreted 
by  the  narrative  itself,  we  are  to  "wash  one  another's  feet." 
We  are  to  help  to  restore  one  another.  We  are  to  minister 
to  the  promotion  of  each  other's  holiness  by  being  careful 
not  "  to  suffer  sin  upon  a  brother."  We  are  thus  made  each 
other's  keepers  in  a  very  important  sense.  When  we  see 
one  going  astray,  we  may  not  content  ourselves  with  sighing 
over  "the  pity  of  it,"  but  we  ought  to  endeavor  to  bring  him 
back.  And  when  a  faithful  brother,  observing  that  we  are 
in  danger,  comes  to  us  with  warning  and  expostulation,  we 
are  to  welcome  his  offices  as  gratefully  as  the  Eastern  visitor 

*  Gal.  v.,  I. 


134  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

received  the  washing  of  his  feet  from  the  servant  of  the  host 
into  whose  house  he  entered. 

Every  one  will  see  that  the  delicacy  of  this  duty  makes  it 
a  very  difficult  one  to  perform ;  and  if  we  are  not  very  spe- 
cially on  our  guard,  even  with  the  best  possible  intentions, 
we  may  do  more  harm  than  good.  Hence,  when  in  this 
sense  we  seek  to  wash  a  brother's  feet,  we  must  be  very  care- 
ful about  three  things,  which  I  give  in  the  quaint  way  in 
which  I  have  somewhere  seen  them  expressed : 

1.  "The  water  must  not  be  too  hot."  Above  all  things 
else,  this  office  of  love  must  be  performed  "  in  the  spirit  of 
meekness."  We  must  not  aggravate  our  brother's  humilia- 
tion by  an  overbearing  or  patronizing  manner.  It  is  a  pain- 
ful thing  to  be  spoken  to  concerning  our  faults,  be  the  man- 
ner of  our  censor  what  it  may,  and  so  we  should  see  to  it 
that  we  give  no  added  cause  of  offense  in  the  way  in  which 
we  do  it.  Much  may  be  learned  here  from  the  Saviour's 
own  dealings  with  his  followers.  "  His  gentleness  made 
them  great."  His  tenderness  gave  strength  even  to  his  re- 
proofs ;  and  it  would  be  well  if,  like  the  woman  with  the 
Lord,  we  could  wash  our  erring  brother's  feet  with  our  tears. 

2.  "  Our  own  hands  should  be  clean."  To  no  purpose  will 
we  seek  to  win  a  brother  from  sin  if  we  be  ourselves  guilty 
of  the  very  thing  which  is  blamable  in  him.  Among  the 
peasantry  of  Scotland,  on  the  night  before  a  wedding,  the 
bachelor  companions  of  the  bridegroom  contrive  to  catch 
him  in  an  unguarded  moment,  and,  carrying  him  away  to  a 
convenient  place,  they  pretend  to  wash  his  feet ;  but  each 
one  who  dips  his  hand  into  the  water  has  had  it  first  black- 
ened with  soot,  and  it  is  not  needful  to  describe  what  the 
issue  is.  Now,  when  I  have  heard  one  who  is  himself  ad- 
dicted to  some  sin  seeking  to  expostulate  with  another  for 
the  same  iniquity,  I  have  been  reminded  of  that  national 
horse-play  which  so  often  made  the  Scottish  homesteads  ring 


The  Washing  of  the  Feet. 


■35 


with  merriment.  Only  there  is  no  merriment  here ;  for  it  is 
not  so  easy  to  wash  off  sin  as  soot.  He  who,  being  guilty 
of  an  evil  himself,  seeks  to  deal  with  another  for  the  same 
evil,  will  inevitably  make  that  other  worse  than  ever.  Let 
him  go  first,  and  learn  what  that  meaneth :  "  How  wilt  thou 
say  to  thy  brother.  Let  me  pull  out  the  mote  out  of  thine 
eye  ;  and,  behold,  a  beam  is  in  thine  own  eye  ?  Thou  hypo- 
crite, first  cast  out  the  beam  out  of  thine  own  eye,  and  then 
shalt  thou  see  clearly  to  cast  out  the  mote  out  of  thy  broth- 
er's eye."^ 

3.  "We  must  be  ready  to  submit  our  own  feet  to  the  proc- 
ess." The  washing  is  to  go  all  round.  See,  it  is  written,  "Ye 
also  ought  to  wash  07ie  another's  feet."  That  which  when 
done  by  us  is  a  kindness  to  a  brother,  is  equally  a  kindness 
when  done  by  him  to  us.  We  are  not  infallible  ;  and,  when 
we  fall,  we  are  ourselves  often  the  persons  who  know  or  feel 
the  least  about  the  evil  which  has  overtaken  us. 

In  such  minor  matters  as  external  habits  we  may  be  guilty 
of  doing  the  most  grotesque  things,  and  yet  be  quite  uncon- 
scious of  the  ridiculous  figure  we  are  constantly  making  of 
ourselves,  so  it  is  a  blessing  to  have  some  one  who  loves  us 
well  enough  to  tell  us  about  them.  In  the  same  way  we 
may  be  falling  into  spiritual  snares  which  are  stealing  away 
our  strength,  and  yet  we  may  not  be  aware  of  the  fact  until 
some  kind  brother  opens  our  eyes  to  it.  What  a  blessing  it 
is  to  have  some  one  who  cares  for  us  enough  to  do  such  an 
office  !  Seeing  us  with  the  impartiality  of  a  stranger,  yet 
loving  us  with  the  affection  of  a  fellow-disciple,  he  enables  us 
to  observe  and  correct  our  faults,  and  thus  renders  us  the 
best  of  all  services.  Let  us  gratefully  receive  it  as  such ; 
and  even  if  he  should  blunder  in  his  manner,  let  us  forgive 
that  on  the  ground  of  the  kindness  of  his  intention. 

*  Matt,  vii.,  4,  5. 


136  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

Brethren,  if  the  members  of  our  churches  were  to  act  on 
these  principles  toward  each  other,  church-membership  would 
mean  something,  and  we  should  furnish  a  noble  commen- 
tary on  the  words  of  the  apostle  ;  "  Consider  one  another  to 
evoke  one  another  to  love  and  to  good  works." 

But  I  can  not  conclude  without  recalling,  for  the  comfort 
of  some  and  for  the  warning  of  others,  these  two  sayings  of 
the  Lord  to  Peter,  "  What  I  do  thou  knowest  not  now,  but 
thou  shalt  know  hereafter ;"  and,  "  If  I  wash  thee  not,  thou 
hast  no  part  with  me."  What  consolation  and  reassurance 
there  is  in  the  former  of  these  expressions  to  those  who  are 
suffering  under  the  afflictive  dispensations  of  the  providence 
of  God !  He  sends  upon  us  some  sore  bereavement,  or 
brings  upon  us  some  dreadful  calamity.  We  are  cast  upon 
a  sick-bed,  or  our  business  is  completely  ruined,  or,  do  as 
we  will,  we  can  find  no  means  of  earning  our  support,  and 
are  at  our  wit's  end.  We  can  not  see  what  he  is  designing. 
The  valley  is  too  dark,  and,  besides,  the  tears  bedim  our 
eyes.  So  we  are  dreadfully  perplexed.  But  "we  shall  know 
hereafter  ;"  and  for  that  hereafter  we  have  not  always  to  wait 
until  we  have  passed  through  death,  for  very  frequently,  even 
in  our  earthly  lives,  we  see,  before  a  great  while,  what  the 
Lord  meant ;  and,  lo !  he  has  been,  as  in  the  present  case, 
"washing  our  feet."  Ah,  how  often  have  we  had  occasion 
to  say,  "  It  has  been  good  for  me  that  I  have  been  afflicted  !" 
Our  trials  have  been  the  means  of  purifying  away  our  dross, 
even  as  the  fire  refines  the  gold.  And  since  we  have  had 
such  experiences  in  the  past,  we  may  surely  trust  him  for 
the  future.  So,  instead  of  repelling  all  his  discipline  and 
rebelling  against  it,  let  us  calmly  submit  to  his  will,  content 
to  let  him  do  with  us  as  seemeth  good  in  his  sight.  That 
is  true  faith  which  is  submissive  in  the  darkness,  pillowing 
its  head  on  this  word,  which,  precious  as  it  is,  had  not  been 
spoken,  had  it  not  been  for  Peter's  waywardness:  "What 


The  Washing  of  the  Feet.  137 

I  do  thou  knowest  not  nowj  but  thou  shalt  know  here- 
after." 

But  how  terrible  is  this  other  saying,  "  If  I  wash  thee  not, 
thou  hast  no  part  with  me  !"  That  does  not  mean,  as  some 
modern  ritualists  would  have  us  believe,  "  Except  ye  be  bap- 
tized ye  can  not  be  saved."  Such  an  explanation  is  a  pitiful 
perversion  of  the  Lord's  words,  and  reduces  them  to  the  mer- 
est externalism.  He  had  a  much  deeper  thought  in  his  mind 
at  the  moment,  and  it  was  as  if  he  had  said,  "  If  you  will  not 
accept  washing  at  my  hands,  I  can  do  nothing  for  you."  The 
blessings  of  his  salvation  may  be  separately  enumerated  and 
considered  by  us  ;  but  they  always  go  together.  Just  as  one 
may  make  a  separate  study  of  heat  and  light  in  the  sun's 
rays,  though  they  invariably  exist  together,  so  we  may  speak 
of  forgiveness  and  sanctification  at  different  times  ;  but  in  the 
experience  of  salvation  they  are  inseparable.  You  can  not 
have  the  one  without  the  other.  You  can  not  have  pardon 
and  yet  keep  your  sins.  If  you  are  to  be  saved  at  all,  you 
must  be  saved  from  your  sins,  not  in  them. 

Now,  that  is  immensely  important.  Multitudes  are  willing 
enough  to  accept  pardon  if  they  can  only  retain  the  sin. 
They  like  well  enough  the  forgiveness,  but  they  dislike  the 
holiness.  Let  these  know,  however,  that  if  Christ  wash  them 
not,  they  "  have  no  part  in  him."  There  is  no  salvation,  nay, 
not  even  forgiveness,  for  those  who  are  not  willing  to  be  pu- 
rified. How  is  it  with  you,  my  hearer?  Surely  when  the 
case  is  thus  presented  to  you,  you  will  make  your  prayer,  in 
David's  words,  "  Purge  me  with  hyssop,  and  I  shall  be  clean  : 
wash  me,  and  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow." 


X. 

DENIAL. 

Matt,  xxvi.,  69-75;  Mark  xiv.,  54,  66-72;   Luke  xxii.,  31-32,  54-63; 
John  xviii.,  15-18;  25-27. 

FROM  the  supper-table,  shortly  after  the  washing  of  his 
disciples'  feet  by  our  Lord,  Judas  went  out  to  com- 
plete the  arrangements  for  the  betrayal,  and  then,  after  fore- 
telling that  he  should  be  deserted  by  his  followers  and  denied 
by  Peter,  the  Saviour  instituted  that  delightful  ordinance 
which  every  true-hearted  Christian  loves  to  observe.  This 
was  followed  by  those  tender  addresses  which  John  has  pre- 
served for  us  in  his  gospel ;  and  then,  after  singing  a  hymn 
together,  and  listening  to  that  wonderful  prayer  of  inter- 
cession which  has  more  of  heaven  about  it  than  of  earth,  the 
eleven  went  with  their  Master  out  into  the  full  moonlight, 
and  took  their  way  down  into  the  valley,  across  the  Kedron, 
and  into  the  garden  of  Gethsemane. 

There  the  favored  three  were  the  near  witnesses  of  that 
mysterious  agony  which  pressed  the  blood  through  the  pores 
like  sweat;  and  the  overhearers  of  those  earnest  prayers 
in  answer  to  which  a  ministering  angel  came  to  him  with 
strength.  There,  too,  they  saw  the  traitor  come  to  point  out 
their  Lord  to  the  band  that  were  ordered  to  apprehend  him; 
and  thence  two  of  them,  namely,  Peter  and  John,  followed 
him  to  the  palace  of  the  high -priest,  in  or  near  the  court- 
yard of  which  our  usually  courageous  apostle  weakly  and 
wickedly  denied  his  Master. 

It  is  a  sad  and  suggestive  chapter  in  his  history,  the  de- 


Denial.  139 

tails  of  which,  as  gathered  from  the  pages  of  the  four  evan- 
gelists, will  come  out  as  we  proceed;  but  so  much  of  general 
preface  was  needed,  in  order  to  connect  the  incidents  which 
are  to-night  before  us  with  those  which  we  considered  in  our 
last  discourse.  Before  proceeding,  however,  it  will  contribute 
to  a  better  understanding  of  all  the  circumstances  if  we  set 
before  you  as  clearly  as  possible  the  place  in  which  the  sever- 
al denials  were  made,  and  endeavor  to  harmonize  the  differ- 
ent accounts  which  the  several  evangelists  have  given  of 
them. 

As  regards  the  place,  all  difficulty  will  disappear  when  we 
remember  that  an  Oriental  house  is  commonly  built  on  the 
sides  of  a  quadrangular  interior  court.  Into  this  court  there 
is  a  passage,  sometimes  arched,  through  the  front  part  of  the 
house,  and  closed  at  the  end  next  the  street  by  a  heavy  fold- 
ing gate,  having  in  it  a  small  wicket  for  single  passengers,  and 
kept  by  a  servant  or  porter.  The  interior  court,  often  paved 
or  flagged,  and  generally  open  to  the  sky,  is  the  hall  spoken 
of  in  the  narrative  where  the  attendants  made  a  fire ;  and 
the  passage  beneath  the  front  of  the  house  from  the  street 
into  the  court  is  that  which  is  called  the  porch.  The  cham- 
ber in  which  Jesus  stood  before  the  high-priest  was  probably 
an  open  room  or  place  of  audience  on  the  ground-floor,  in 
the  rear,  and  open  in  front,  such  rooms  being,  in  fact,  quite 
common. 

We  have  nothing  exactly  corresponding  to  this,  so  far  as  I 
know,  in  our  own  city;  but  I  have  been  in  a  hotel  in  Paris 
which  enabled  me  quite  to  realize  all  that  is  here  described, 
and  they  who  have  visited  the  Langham  Hotel,  in  London, 
may  with  a  little  imagination  reproduce  all  the  incidents  re- 
corded in  this  section  of  the  sacred  story.  At  least,  by  keep- 
ing in  mind  what  has  been  said,  we  can  easily  understand 
how  in  the  open  room  behind  the  Lord  could  turn  and 
look  upon  Peter  standing  with  the  servants  in  the  court, 


I40  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

when  by  the  crowing  of  the  cock  he  was,  as  it  were,  remind- 
ed of  his  servant's  fall. 

Then,  as  to  the  order  of  the  incidents  given  by  the  evan- 
gelists, the  following  summary  may  serve  to  give  a  clear  and 
harmonious  account  of  what  occurred :  The  first  denial 
seems  to  have  been  connected  with  Peter's  admission  to  the 
house  through  the  wicket.  By  John  we  are  told  that  the 
damsel  that  kept  the  door  was  his  first  assailant;  by  Matthew 
we  are  informed  that  she  came  to  him  as  he  sat  without  in 
the  court;  and  by  Mark  and  Luke  it  is  said  that  this  first 
denial  was  made  while  he  was  sitting  with  the  servants  by 
the  charcoal  fire.  But  we  have  only  to  suppose  that  the 
porteress  followed  him  from  the  gate  into  the  court,  "chaf- 
fing "  him  all  the  way,  and  that  when  she  came  to  the  fire 
the  other  servants  joined  her  in  her  taunts,  and  then  we  have 
a  full  and  consistent  harmony  of  all  the  four  accounts. 

The  second  denial,  according  to  John,  was  made  while 
Peter  was  standing  by  the  fire,  when  it  is  represented  that  he 
was  set  upon  by  more  than  one  at  a  time,  for  the  words  are, 
"They  said  unto  him."  By  Matthew  it  is  alleged  that  he 
went  out  into  the  porch,  and  another  maid  accosted  him. 
By  Mark  he  is  represented  as  being  attacked  by  the  same 
maid  as  before ;  while  by  Luke  it  is  simply  said  "  another 
saw  him."  Now,  here  again,  all  difficulty  vanishes  when  we 
suppose  that  the  apostle  was  assailed  by  a  number  of  per- 
sons at  once,  who  followed  him  about  from  one  part  of  the 
court  to  another,  and  to  whom  he  made  what  was  substantial- 
ly the  same  reply,  though  it  was  repeated  more  than  once  in 
different  forms,  and  was  in  one  case  accompanied  with  an 
oath. 

The  third  denial  is  connected  by  John  with  the  recogni- 
tion of  Peter  by  a  kinsman  of  that  Malchus  whose  ear  Peter 
had  cut  off  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane.  By  Matthew  it  is 
said  to  have  occurred  "  after  a  while,"  and  more  than  one 


Denial.  141 

assailant  is  referred  to,  for  the  words  are  "they  say  unto 
him,"  while  special  allusion  is  made  to  his  Galilean  accent. 
Mark  agrees  with  Matthew,  and  Luke  says  substantially  the 
same  thing,  although  he  mentions  only  one  assailant.  But 
here,  again,  all  is  plain  on  the  supposition  that  Peter  was  set 
upon  simultaneously  by  a  number  of  persons. 

The  narratives  do  not  require  us  to  believe  that  Peter  ut- 
tered words  of  denial  only  three  times,  each  time  to  only  one 
person.  Rather  they  suggest  to  any  one  who  is  accustomed 
to  sift  evidence  that  he  was,  on  three  distinct  occasions, 
assailed  by  a  number  of  persons  at  once,  who  questioned 
him  as  to  whether  he  had  been  with  Jesus.  He  was  made 
the  object  three  times  that  night  of  general  banter  and  as- 
sault by  a  company  of  the  high-priest's  servants,  who  con- 
sidered it  a  good  joke  to  torment  him  by  working  on  his 
fears. 

This  view  of  the  case  not  only  enables  us  to  harmonize  the 
narratives,  but  also  helps  us  to  understand  more  clearly  the 
nature  of  the  temptation  before  which  Peter  fell ;  for  in  the 
state  of  mind  in  which  the  apostle  was,  after  all  he  had  seen 
and  experienced  during  the  preceding  hours,  nothing  could 
well  have  been  more  exasperating  than  to  be  baited,  badger- 
ed, and  bantered  by  a  company  of  thoughtless  and  unfeeling 
lackeys,  who  to  the  malice  of  their  masters  added  a  coarse- 
ness that  was  all  their  own.  But  now,  having  obtained  a 
clear  conception  of  the  circumstances  in  which  the  denials 
were  made,  let  us  attend  a  little  first  to  the  precursors  of 
this  fall. 

Among  these  we  give  a  prominent  place  to  self-confi- 
dence. At  different  times  during  the  Last  Supper,  and  in 
the  conversations  after  it,  Peter  expressed  himself  after  this 
fashion  :  "  Though  I  should  die  with  thee,  yet  will  I  not  deny 
thee."  "  Although  all  shall  be  offended,  yet  will  not  I."  "  I 
am  ready  to  go  with  thee  both  into  prison  and  to  death." 


142  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

"  I  will  lay  down  my  life  for  thy  sake.'"*^  And  when  he  said 
these  things  he  was  sincere.  He  felt  all  he  said.  Hy- 
pocrisy was  foreign  to  his  nature ;  so  foreign,  indeed,  that 
when  he  tried  to  practice  it,  he  made  such  poor  work  of 
it  as  to  lay  himself  open  to  the  banter  of  his  assailants.  It 
will  not  do,  therefore,  to  speak  of  him  as  insincere  in  his 
protestations  of  attachment  to  the  Lord.  We  must  not 
forget  either  that  he  was  the  only  one  of  the  eleven,  save 
John,  who  followed  Jesus  into  the  palace  of  the  high-priest. 
The  others  had  forsaken  the  Master  altogether  for  the  time, 
and  so,  in  a  sense,  Peter's  greater  guilt  than  theirs  was  ow- 
ing to  his  greater  love.  But  the  root  of  the  evil  in  him  was 
that  "  he  trusted  in  his  own  heart."  Just  as  when  he  set  out 
upon  the  water  to  go  to  Jesus,  he  thought  he  could  do  more 
than  the  others,  and  in  trying  to  do  that  he  began  to  sink;  so 
now  again,  in  attempting  to  manifest  more  courage  than  they, 
he  fell  into  a  deeper  humiliation  than  theirs.  His  self-con- 
fidence threw  him  off  his  guard,  and  made  him  think  that  he 
had  no  need  to  pray  for  strength,  and  so  he  fell  an  easy  vic- 
tim to  the  tempter's  stratagems. 

But  the  same  effect  will  follow  boastfulness  and  self-con- 
fidence in  us.  "  A  proud  look  goeth  before  a  fall,"  and  it 
is  the  man  who  thinketh  he  standeth  who  has  the  greatest 
need  to  take  heed  lest  he  fall.  The  most  confident  swim- 
mers are  they  who  are  most  in  danger  of  drowning,  just  from 
the  rash  venturesomeness  which  their  overassurance  inspires. 
The  most  conceited  drivers  are  they  who  most  frequently 
upset  the  coach.  And  the  greatest  braggadocio  in  the  camp 
is  sometimes  also  the  greatest  coward  in  the  field.  Let  us 
therefore  not  be  high-minded,  but  fear.  We  can  not  depend 
too  much  on  God;  for  when  we  sincerely  trust  him,  we  shall 
also  implicitly  obey  him.     But  we  can  not  depend  too  little 

*  Matt,  xxvi.,  35  ;  Mark  xiv.,  29  ;  Luke  xxii.,  33  ;  John  xiii.,  37. 


Denial.  143 

on  ourselves;  for  "he  that  trusteth  in  his  own  heart  is  a 
fool." 

Another  precursor  of  this  denial  was  rashness.  When 
Jesus  was  in  the  garden,  and  about  to  be  apprehended,  Peter 
drew  the  sword  which  he  carried,  and  cut  off  the  ear  of 
Malchus,  one  of  the  servants  of  the  high-priest.  The  Lord 
himself  immediately  interfered,  and  miraculously  cured  the 
wound.  But  Peter's  act  was  rash,  and  it  has  always  seemed 
to  me  that  it  had  much  to  do  with  his  denials.  John  was 
known  to  be  a  disciple  of  Jesus;  but  he  was  in  no  danger, 
and  was  not  assailed.  Peter,  however,  had  undeniably  com- 
mitted an  assault  which  made  him  amenable  to  the  law,  and 
might  subject  him  to  punishment;  and  it  is  not  improbable 
that  he  was  tempted  to  deny  that  he  knew  the  Lord  in  order 
to  save  himself  from  being  apprehended  for  that  crime. 
This  view  seems  to  be  corroborated  by  the  fact  that  it  was 
when  the  kinsmen  of  Malchus  spoke  to  him  that  he  began 
"to  curse  and  swear."*  PerhajDS,  therefore,  if  he  had  not 
been  so  rash  with  his  weapon,  the  fear  of  man  might  not  have 
been  so  strong  within  him  as  to  induce  him  to  declare  that 
he  was  not  a  disciple.  But  whether  this  were  true  in  his 
case  or  not,  it  is  indisputable  that  many  men  by  their  inju- 
dicious recklessness  have  put  themselves  into  circumstances 
where  they  were  sorely  tempted  to  utter  a  false  word.  And 
it  might  have  been  said  regarding  them  that  if  it  had  not  been 
for  their  foolhardiness  in  the  first  instance,  they  would  not 
have  felt  any  force  in  the  temptation  in  the  second.  Mis- 
placed bravery  is  very  often,  as  in  this  instance,  the  fore- 
runner of  cowardice.  If  by  our  folly  we  put  ourselves  in 
jeopardy,  we  are  on  the  highway  to  falsehood  in  order  to 
get  ourselves  out  again.  The  safe  course,  therefore,  is  to  be 
upon  our  guard,  and  to  follow  the  advice  of  that  official  in 

*  John  xvii.,  26,  27,  with  Mark  xiv.,  70,  71;", 


144  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

ancient  Ephesus  whom  I  have  generally  found  to  be  my 
wisest  counselor,  and  who  said  to  his  fellow -citizens  that 
they  should  "do  nothing  rashly." ''^ 

Another  precursor  of  these  denials  was  distance  from  the 
Lord.  One  of  the  evangelists  tells  us  that  "  Peter  followed 
— afar  off."t  It  was  well  that  he  followed  at  all;  but 
there  was  peril  in  the  distance  at  which  he  kept  from 
Jesus.  It  would  seem  that  Peter  and  John  came  to  the 
porch  of  the  high-priest's  palace  some  time  after  Jesus 
had  been  conducted  through  it,  and  that  John,  being  known 
to  the  servants,  entered  first  alone,  and  then  came  back 
for  Peter.  John,  as  we  may  conjecture,  went  immediately 
forward  to  the  place  where  Jesus  was,  but  Peter  lingered 
among  the  servants,  and  so  exposed  himself  to  their  at- 
tacks. Had  he  gone  straight  up,  and  placed  himself  at 
the  side  of  his  Master,  the  sight  of  the  meek  majesty  of  the 
patient  sufferer  would  at  once  have  given  him  strength ;  and 
neither  man  nor  devil  would  have  moved  him  to  do  him  dis- 
honor. But  he  was  in  the  midst  of  evil  surroundings,  and 
he  fell.  As  a  good  Scotch  woman  used  to  say  about  him, 
"  He  had  nae  business  among  the  flunkeys."  This  witness 
is  true  :  he  ought  to  have  been  close  by  his  Lord.  If  we  are 
going  to  follow  Jesus  at  all,  the  easiest  as  well  as  the  safest 
way  to  do  so  is  to  follow  him  fully.  Decision  wards  off  at- 
tack. If  Peter's  assailants  had  not  seen  that  they  were  annoy- 
ing him,  they  would  have  stopped  at  once.  But  when  they 
observed  him  wincing  under  every  blow,  they  only  struck  the 
harder.  Often  a  weak  army  has  held  a  stronger  one  at  bay 
by  simply  making  a  judicious  show  offeree;  so  we  may  keep 
our  adversaries  from  assailing  us  by  the  very  decision  of  our 
course.  And  who  should  be  decided,  if  not  we  ?  Is  not 
Christ  on  our  side,  if  we  be  on  his  ?     And  while  we  keep 

*  Acts  xix.,  36.  t  Matt,  xxvi.,  58. 


Denial.  145 

true  to  him,  what  real  harm  can  come  to  us  ?  Trimming  is 
a  courting  of  attack ;  decision  carries  all  before  it,  because 
it  carries  God  with  it.  If,  therefore,  you  propose  to  follow 
Christ  at  all,  see  that  you  keep  close  to  him  and  follow  him 
fully. 

But  now  let  us  look  a  little  at  the  aggravations  of  these 
denials.  These  were  many.  For  one  thing,  Peter  had  been 
well  warned  of  his  danger.  Away  back,  months  before,  un- 
der the  parable  of  his  walking  on  the  waters,  the  Lord  had 
let  him  see  into  his  own  heart,  and  had  shown  him  the  peril 
of  a  disposition  such  as  his.  One  would  have  thought,  too, 
that  the  discipHne  to  which  he  had  been  subjected  for  his 
rebuke  of  his  Master,  for  his  foolish  request  upon  the  mount- 
ain-top, and  for  his  conduct  in  connection  with  the  washing 
of  his  feet,  might  have  taught  him  to  be  less  boastful  and 
self-confident.  But  to  all  these  had  been  added  plain  and 
direct  statements  of  the  precise  sort  of  weakness  before  which 
he  was  to  fall;  and  still  he  took  no  heed.  We  have  a  prov- 
erb to  this  effect,  "  Forewarned,  forearmed."  Yet  even 
though  the  Lord  spake  to  him  in  the  solemnest  manner,*  and 
told  him  of  the  searching  nature  of  the  ordeal  to  which  he 
was  to  be  subjected,  his  words  produced  little  effect,  and 
Satan  found  in  him  an  easy  victim.  But  similar  warnings 
have  been  given  to  us.  We,  too,  have  been  put  upon  our 
guard,  in  such  passages  as  these,  "  In  the  world  ye  shall 
have  tribulation ;"  "Watch  ye,  stand  fast  in  the  faith,  quit  you 
like  men,  be  strong  ;"  and  if,  after  these  commands  have  been 
addressed  to  us,  we  allow  ourselves  from  lack  of  vigilance  to 
be  taken  prisoners  by  the  enemy,  our  guilt  will  be  greater 
far  than  that  of  those  to  whom  no  such  messages  have  been 
sent. 

Another  aggravation  of  Peter's  denials  was  connected  with 

*  Luke  xxii.,  31,  32. 
7 


146  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

the  time  at  which  they  were  uttered.  It  was  with  Jesus  him- 
self "  the  hour  and  the  power  of  darkness."  He  had  just 
risen,  all  breathless  and  bleeding,  from  the  endurance  of  that 
inscrutable  agony  which  came  upon  him  in  Gethsemane. 
His  cheek  was  yet  almost  moist  with  the  impress  of  the 
traitor's  lips  upon  it;  and  his  heart  was  sore  at  the  thought 
that,  of  the  other  eleven,  only  two  cared  to  be  near  him  in 
the  climax  of  his  necessity.  Was  this  4;he  time,  then,  for 
Peter  to  wound  him  yet  more  deeply  by  his  denial  ?  It  is 
never  right  to  turn  the  back  on  Jesus ;  but  surely  it  is  most 
disgraceful  to  do  so  when  he  is  suffering  indignity  at  the 
hands  of  others.  If  for  no  other  reason  than  because  so 
many  others  had  forsaken  him,  the  apostle  whom  he  had  so 
loved  and  honored  ought  to  have  been  firm.  And  in  days 
like  these  in  which  we  live,  when  men  in  many  circles  are 
mocking  Christ,  as  really  as  the  Roman  soldiers  did  when 
they  arrayed  him  in  the  garments  of  a  make-believe  royalty; 
when  Judases  in  the  Church  are  betraying  him  with  the  kiss 
of  falsehood;  and  when  Sadducean  philosophers  in  the 
world  are  robbing  him  of  his  deity,  it  will  be  an  awful  shame 
in  us,  who  owe  to  him  all  our  happiness  now,  and  all  the 
hopes  we  are  cherishing  for  hereafter,  if  we  let  ourselves 
be  influenced  by  such  examples,  and  deny  the  Lord  that 
bought  us. 

Further,  these  denials  were  aggravated  in  Peter's  case  by 
the  fact  that  the  Lord  had  given  him  many  special  tokens  of 
his  regard.  He  had  been  peculiarly  privileged.  One  of  the 
first  three  of  the  chosen  band,  he  had  witnessed  the  raising 
of  Jairus's  daughter;  he  had  been  on  the  Mount  of  Trans- 
figuration ;  and  had  been  taken  as  far  into  Gethsemane  as  it 
was  possible  for  human  sympathy  to  accompany  a  divine 
sufferer.  Nay,  he  had  received  certain  individual  marks  of 
favor  at  the  time  of  his  memorable  confession.  Yet  he  de- 
nied the  Lord.     Truly  "  the  best  of  men  are  but  men  at  the 


Denial.  147 

best."  Privilege  does  not  guarantee  perfection ;  and  even  a 
holy  apostle  is  seen  here  as  a  blaspheming  sinner.  But  what 
had  Peter's  privileges  been  thus  far  to  ours  ?  There  is  scarce- 
ly a  scholar  in  our  Sunday-schools  to-day  who  does  not 
know  more  about  Christ,  and  has  not  received  more  from 
Christ,  than  Peter  at  this  stage  of  his  history.  We  often  speak 
as  if  it  were  otherwise.  But  the  more  you  think  it  out,  the 
stronger  will  be  your  conviction  of  the  truth  of  our  assertion 
that  we  know  far  more  of  Christ,  and  owe  far  more  to  Christ 
to-day,  than  the  first  apostles  did.  If,  therefore,  we  should 
betray  him  into  his  enemies'  hands,  or  deny  him  through  the 
fear  of  men,  our  guilt  will  be  immensely  greater  than  that  of 
Judas  or  of  Peter.  Do  not  think,  therefore,  that  you  can  not 
sin  after  this  fashion.  Realize  your  danger,  and  let  your 
prayer  ascend,  "  Hold  thou  up  my  goings  in  thy  paths,  that 
my  footsteps  slip  not." 

Finally,  here  these  denials  were  aggravated  by  the  manner 
in  which  they  were  made.  Peter  was  not  content  with  one 
denial.  It  was  repeated.  It  was  repeated  with  an  oath. 
It  was  repeated  with  "  cursing  and  swearing."  In  his  early 
years  the  son  of  Jonas  had  been  a  fisherman  on  the  Galilean 
lake.  He  belonged  to  a  class  of  men  engaged  in  a  peril- 
ous labor,  and  living  a  wild  and  reckless  life.  Among 
them,  therefore,  it  is  probable  that  he  had  contracted  the 
habit  of  profane  swearing ;  and  though  he  had  broken  it  off 
for  years,  it  came  back  upon  him  now  in  his  moment  of 
weakness,  and  added  its  element  of  guilt  to  the  general 
enormity  of  his  conduct.  When  one  has  recovered  from  a 
dangerous  disease,  such  a  local  weakness  is  left  in  the  or- 
gan which  had  been  affected  that  whenever  a  severe  strain 
comes  upon  the  constitution  it  is  sure  to  feel  it  first  and 
worst.  So  even  after  one  has  conquered  an  evil  habit,  there 
is  left  in  his  character  a  proneness  to  fall  back  into  it  again 
at  every  time  of  crisis,  and  thus  God  makes  us  frequently  to 


148  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

possess  "  the  sins  of  our  youth."  How  important  it  is,  there- 
fore, never  to  acquire  evil  habits,  lest  in  some  hour  of  weak- 
ness they  come  back  upon  us  with  seven  other  sins,  more  and 
worse  than  themselves  !  Behold,  too,  how  iniquities  seldom 
come  singly !  The  lie  links  itself  on  to  the  oath,  and  the 
oath,  being  already  blasphemy,  prepares  the  way  for  the 

curse. 

"  Ah  !  what  a  tangled  web  we  weave 
When  first  we  practice  to  deceive." 

Peter  did  not  think  of  all  this  when  he  rose  from  the  sup- 
per-table a  few  hours  before.  But  he  went  on  step  by  step ; 
and  the  first  error  was  in  his  self-confidence.  That  was  the 
germ  from  which  all  these  evils  sprung;  and  had  he  kept 
himself  from  that  "  secret  fault,"  he  had  never  been  guilty 
of  this  "great  transgression."*  Let  not  the  lesson  be  lost 
on  us. 

But  let  us  look  now  at  the  sequel  of  these  denials.  When 
Peter  said  for  the  third  time  "  I  am  not,"  the  cock  crew. 
Mark  tells  us  that  the  same  thing  followed  the  first  denial ; 
but  these  circumstantial  variations  strengthen,  rather  than 
weaken,  the  force  of  the  testimony  given  by  the  evangelists, 
establishing  as  they  do  their  perfect  independence  of  each 
other.  Luke  informs  us  also  that,  just  at  the  moment  when 
the  cock  crew,  "  the  Lord  turned  and  looked  upon  Peter." 
What  a  look  that  was !  It  was  a  mingling  of  reproof,  of 
tenderness,  and  of  entreaty.  It  reminded  Peter  of  the  warn- 
ings he  had  received,  of  the  kindness  he  had  so  ungratefully 
met,  and  especially  of  the  words  of  love  which  had  been  so 
recently  addressed  to  him  :  "  Simon  !  behold,  Satan  hath  de- 
sired to  have  you,  that  he  may  sift  you  as  wheat ;  but  I  have 
prayed  for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail  not;  and  when  thou  art  con- 
verted, strengthen  thy  brethren."!    He  saw  then  what  he  had 

*  Psa.  xix.,  12,  13.  t  Luke  xxii.,  31,  32. 


Denial.  149 

done,  and  in  a  moment  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  within 
him  were  broken  up,  for,  overcome  with  shame  and  sorrow, 
"he  went  out  and  wept  bitterly."  Yet  all  through  the  bit- 
terness there  remained  with  him  the  memory  of  that  loving 
look  and  of  these  assuring  words,  "  I  have  prayed  for  thee, 
that  thy  faith  fail  not."  He  lived  on  that  look  till  the  Master 
met  him  after  the  resurrection ;  and  the  thought  of  that  pray- 
er kept  him  from  falling  into  despair.  Had  it  not  been  for 
these  things,  he,  too,  might  have  gone,  like  Judas,  and  hang- 
ed himself;  but  as  it  was  in  the  cases  of  these  two  disciples, 
we  have  clearly  unfolded  to  us  the  difference  between  repent- 
ance and  remorse.  Repentance  springs  froni  the  contem- 
plation of  our  sin,  in  the  light  of  Christ's  love ;  remorse 
from  the  consideration  of  our  sin  in  the  mere  light  of  con- 
science and  of  law.  Repentance  keeps  us  in  hope  ;  remorse 
drives  us  to  despair.  Repentance  brings  us  back  to  Jesus ; 
remorse  drives  us  farther  from  him.  Repentance  leads  to 
newness  of  life ;  remorse  sends  us  yet  more  deeply  into  sin. 

Whoso,  therefore,  seeks  to  repent,  must  have  Christ  as  the 
centre  of  that  exercise,  for  we  can  obtain  a  true  view  of  our 
sins  only  at  the  foot  of  his  cross.  It  is  an  anticipation  of  the 
history,  but  we  must  add  that  the  Lord  recognized  the  gen- 
uineness of  Peter's  penitence  in  that  private  interview  which 
he  had  with  him  on  the  day  of  his  resurrection,  and  in  that 
public  restoration  of  him  to  his  apostolic  office  by  the  sea  of 
Galilee,  the  account  of  which  forms  the  appendix  to  John's 
gospel ;  while,  as  we  shall  see  when  we  come  to  analyze  his 
epistles,  some  of  the  sweetest  passages  in  them  were  the  re- 
sult of  this  painful  chapter  in  his  personal  history. 

I  have  endeavored  throughout  this  discourse  to  give  a  prac- 
tical turn  to  the  subject,  and  any  thing  like  formal  applica- 
tion is  almost  unnecessary.  I  content  myself  with  one  or 
two  inferences  which  are  too  important  to  be  overlooked. 
In  the  first  place,  great  prominence  in  Christ's  service  does 


150  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

not  keep  us  from  peril.  Peter  was  one  of  the  first  three  of 
the  apostles,  yet  he  fell.  The  truth  is,  the  only  safeguard 
for  any  man  is  in  keeping  close  to  Christ,  and  trusting  im- 
plicitly to  him.  So  far  from  eminence  in  Christian  service 
insuring  one  against  attack,  it  very  often  makes  him  only 
the  more  prominent  as  a  mark  for  the  fiery  darts  of  the  wick- 
ed one.  When  Satan  thinks  it  worth  while  to  bestir  himself 
about  a  man,  it  is  because  that  man  is  doing  yeoman's  serv- 
ice for  his  Master.  He  does  not  waste  his  skill  upon  no- 
bodies. He  looks  for  "foemen  worthy  of  his  steel."  He^ 
tries  to  pick  off  the  officers  in  "  the  sacramental  host  of  God's 
elect;"  and  just  when  one  is  most  useful  and  eminent  in  the 
service  of  the  Lord,  he  is  in  the  greatest  possible  danger. 
His  fiercest  onslaught  was  on  the  Lord  himself,  and  those 
who  are  nearest  him  in  character  and  devotion  are  still  the 
objects  of  the  adversary's  most  insidious  assaults.  When- 
ever Christ  is  honoring  you  by  making  you  instrumental  in 
bringing  many  into  his  kingdom,  look  out  for  being  sifted  as 
wheat  by  Satan  !  and  if  you  would  save  yourselves  from  fall- 
ing before  him,  be  humble,  be  vigilant,  be  prayerful.  Above 
all,  follow  Christ  fully,  and  keep  the  servants  of  the  world's 
high-priests  at  a  safe  distance  from  you. 

Remember,  in  the  second  place,  that  our  greatest  danger 
does  not  always  lie  where  we  are  weakest,  but  is  sometimes 
where  we  are  usually  strongest.  Peter's  characteristic  was 
honesty;  yet  he  fell  into  deceit.  Peter's  nature  was  coura- 
geous, yet  here  he  manifests  cowardice.  So  eminent  as  Abra- 
ham was  in  faith,  it  was  in  faith  that  he  most  signally  failed; 
remarkable  as  Job  was  for  patience,  it  was  in  that  very  thing 
that  he  gave  way ;  and  though  Moses  was  "  meek  above  all 
the  men  that  dwelt  upon  the  earth,"  his  meekness  gave  place 
to  irritability  at  Meribah,  and  that,  too,  before  a  provocation 
which  seems  to  us  to  have  been  the  smallest  of  his  life.  Let 
us  learn,  therefore,  not  to  relax  our  watchfulness  in  any  one 


Denial.  151 

particular.  If  we  begin  to  tiiink  ourselves  strong  in  any 
characteristic,  then  is  the  moment  of  our  clanger.  By  many 
sore  experiences  Paul  was  led  to  say,  "  When  I  am  weak,  then 
am  I  Strong;"  for  his  weakness  sent  him  to  the  Lord,  who 
said,  "My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee;  my  strength  is  made 
perfect  in  weakness."  But  the  converse  of  his  words  is  also 
sadly  true;  for  when  we  are  strong,  then  are  we  weak,  and 
when  we  begin  to  think  that  some  one  principle  is  powerful 
in  us,  we  are  in  danger  of  failing  in  that  very  thing.  Wliat 
need,  therefore,  of  unslumbering  vigilance  in  our  daily  lives  ! 
Finally,  if  Peter's  fall  is  a  warning  against  overconfidence, 
his  restoration  ought  to  be  an  antidote  to  all  despair.  We 
have  seen  how  aggravated  his  guilt  was,  yet  Jesus  took  him 
back;  and  no  matter  how  heinous  our  iniquity  may  have 
been,  he  will  heal  our  backsliding  also,  if  we  go  to  him  in 
penitence  and  prayer.  The  greatest  sin  we  can  commit 
against  him-  is  to  despair  of  his  grace.  Oh,  if  there  be  any 
one  here  to-night  who  has  been  denying  Christ,  let  me  be- 
seech him  now  to  return !  As  you  think  of  your  father's 
house,  where  you  were  taught  to  know  and  love  the  Lord;  as 
you  remember  the  privileges  you  enjoyed  in  the  Sunday- 
school,  and  at  your  mother's  knee,  where  first  you  learned  to 
lisp  the  words  of  prayer ;  as  you  recall  the  ecstasy  of  the 
hour  when,  before  the  Church  and  the  world,  you  confessed 
Christ  as  your  Saviour  and  Lord ;  and  then,  as  you  reflect 
on  all  that  you  have  done  since — on  your  falseness,  your  im- 
purity, your  profanity,  aye,  it  may  be  your  dishonesty — you 
may  be  apt  to  sink  into  despair.  But  no  !  no  !  no  !  Do  not 
despair.  Do  not  judge  the  Lord  Jesus  by  the  standard  of 
your  own  heart;  do  not  judge  him  even  by  the  character 
and  conduct  of  those  who  call  themselves  his  followers. 
Judge  him  only  by  his  own  words  and  actions !  Is  it  not 
written,  "  If  from  thence  thou  shalt  seek  the  Lord  thy  God, 
thou  shalt  find  him,  if  thou  seek  him  with  all  thy  heart  and 


152  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

with  all  thy  soul."  Even  from  thence  !  What  do  these 
words  mean  ?  They  mean  anywhere  this  side  of  hell. 
Think  of  Peter,  then,  and  go  back  to  Jesus.  He  will  heal 
your  backsliding ;  he  will  love  you  freely.  Go,  and  weep 
your  tears  of  penitence  over  his  feet,  for  he  saith  unto  thee, 
"  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee." 


XI. 

BY  THE  LAKE  OF  GALILEE. 
John  xxi. 

THE  twenty-first  chapter  of  the  Gospel  by  John,  to  which 
we  are  indebted  for  the  incidents  which  are  now  to 
come  under  our  review,  may  be  regarded  as  an  appendix  to 
the  treatise  in  which  it  is  incorporated.  But,  though  bear- 
ing upon  it  the  mark  of  having  been  written  at  a  later  date 
than  the  main  narrative,  it  has  also  unmistakable  indications 
of  the  same  author's  hand.  The  simplicity  of  the  style,  the 
incidental  allusions  in  the  story,  the  recurrence  of  certain 
forms  of  expression  which  are  frequently  found  in  his  other 
writings,  and  the  personal  references  in  the  closing  verses, 
are  all  characteristic  of  "  the  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved ;" 
and,  as  we  pass  from  the  body  of  the  Gospel  into  this  epi- 
logue, we  are  conscious  of  no  such  transition  as  that  which 
we  must  have  felt  had  we  been  going  from  the  writings  of 
one  author  to  those  of  another.  Like  the  side -chapel  in 
some  beautiful  cathedral,  while  it  has  certain  features  of  dis- 
tinctive excellence,  it  so  harmonizes  in  manner  and  appear- 
ance with  the  principal  edifice  as  to  convey  the  impression 
that  it  is  the  creation  of  the  same  great  architect  who  de- 
signed the  structure  of  which  it  is  an  adjunct. 

Nor  is  it  difiicult  to  divine  the  motives  by  which  its  author 
was  actuated  in  making  this  addition  to  his  former  work. 
Principally  and  especially,  he  desired  to  commend  to  his 
readers  the  gentleness  of  Christ,  as  that  comes  out  in  his 
treatment  of  the  apostle  who  had  thrice  denied  him ;  but  in- 

7* 


154  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

cidentally  he  gives  us  also  an  account  of  the  renewal  of  Pe- 
ter's commission,  and  so  accredits  him  to  all  his  readers. 
I  call  particular  attention  to  this  incidental  effect  produced 
upon  the  student  by  this  chapter,  because  Renan  has  affirmed 
that  "  in  his  old  age  the  Apostle  John  commenced  to  dictate 
a  few  things  which  he  knew  better  than  the  rest,  with  the  in- 
tention of  showing  that  in  many  instances  in  which  only  Pe- 
ter was  spoken  of,  he  had  figured  with  him,  and  even  before 
him."=* 

But  who  that  has  read  the  Gospel  even  in  the  most  cursory 
manner  can  accept  such  a  statement  ?  Is  it  possible  that 
the  divinest  book  in  the  world  could  have  had  its  origin  in 
the  personal  pique  and  petty  pride  of  its  author?  Is  it  con- 
ceivable that  the  man  who  throughout  his  treatise  has  never 
mentioned  his  own  name,  and  has  kept  himself  studiously 
in  the  background,  was  yet  at  the  very  same  time  filled  with 
jealousy  of  Peter?  But,  in  addition  to  these  weighty  con- 
siderations, we  point  to  this  supplementary  chapter,  and  ask 
if  it  be  not  patent  to  every  one  who  cares  to  see  it,  that  John 
has  written  this  narrative  with  a  kind  of  brotherly  pride  in 
his  fellow-disciple,  and  with  the  view  of  exalting  him  in  the 
estimation  of  his  readers  ?  No  doubt  there  is  an  implied  re- 
proof of  Peter's  curiosity  in  the  twenty -second  verse;  but 
why  should  John,  in  recording  that,  be  accused  of  being  jeal- 
ous of  Peter,  any  more  than  Matthew  should  be  blamed  for 
the  same  thing,  because  he  tells  that  on  one  occasion  the 
Master  said  to  the  same  disciple,  "Get  thee  behind  me, 
Satan." 

The  truth  is,  that  John  here  has  supplied  us  with  informa- 
tion without  which  it  would  hardly  have  been  possible  for  us 
to  understand  how  the  Peter  of  the  denials  became  in  the 
short  space  of  fifty  days  the  Peter  of  the  Pentecost.     The 

*  Kenan's  "Life  of  Jesus,"  English  people's  edition,  pp.  15,  16. 


By  the  Lake  of  Galilee.  155 

other  evangelists,  indeed,  have  given  us  hints  of  his  repent- 
ance ;  but  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  account  which  John  has 
furnished  of  his  running  to  the  sepulchre,  and  of  his  inter- 
view with  the  risen  Lord  by  the  Lake  of  Galilee,  we  might 
have  been  disposed  to  accuse  him  of  forwardness  and  pre- 
sumption in  taking  such  a  prominent  part  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Church.  As  it  is,  however,  this  commission  given 
to  him  by  the  Lord  is  the  warrant  for  his  activity  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost. 

But  to  give  an  intelligent  presentation  of  the  subject,  we 
must  go  back  to  the  point  at  which  we  closed  our  last  dis- 
course. After  Peter's  denials  our  Lord  was  taken  from  the 
palace  of  the  high-priest  to  the  hall  of  Pilate,  and  thence  to 
the  house  of  Herod,  who  sent  him  back  to  the  Roman  gov- 
ernor, by  whom  he  was  given  over  to  crucifixion.  At  the 
ninth  hour  of  the  sixth  day  of  the  week  the  Lord  yielded  up 
the  ghost ;  and  as  the  reality  of  his  death  was  ascertained 
by  the  spear-thrust  of  the  Roman  soldier  shortly  afterward, 
there  was  still  time  before  the  Sabbath  began  for  a  hasty 
funeral.  So  Joseph  of  Arimathea  and  Nicodemus,  having 
obtained  from  Pilate  the  necessary  permission,  took  the 
body,  and,  with  the  assistance  of  Mary  Magdalene  and  Mary 
the  mother  of  Joses,  "  wrapped  it  in  linen  and  laid  it  in  a 
sepulchre  which  was  hewn  out  of  a  rock,"  and  which  had 
been  only  recently  finished  in  a  garden  hard  by  Calvary. 
In  this  tomb  the  body  of  the  Lord  Jesus  lay  all  through  that 
silent  Sabbath.  But  on  the  morning  of  the  first  day  of  the 
week,  in  spite  of  the  sealed  stone  which  had  been  put  at  the 
door  of  the  sepulchre,  and  to  the  dismay  of  the  soldiers  who 
had  been  set  as  a  watch  beside  it,  he  came  forth,  "  having 
burst  the  bands  of  death  because  it  was  impossible  that  he 
should  be  holden  of  them."  At  what  precise  moment  he 
arose  from  the  dead  we  are  nowhere  informed.  We  know, 
however,  that  he  did  not  hurry  from  the  tomb,  like  as  a  crim- 


156  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

inal  runs  to  make  his  escape  from  prison ;  but  that  he  was 
calm  as  one  rising  refreshed  from  his  couch,  for  the  napkin 
that  had  been  bound  around  his  head  was  found  folded  with 
care  in  a  place  by  itself,  and  the  other  grave-clothes  were 
laid  decently  by  themselves. 

It  belongs  not  to  my  present  purpose  to  speak  of  all  the 
appearances  which  the  Lord  made  to  his  followers  after  his 
resurrection.  We  have  to  do  now  especially  with  Peter ;  so 
we  restrict  ourselves  to  those  incidents  with  which  he  was 
connected. 

It  would  seem,  then,  that  when  the  women  who  went  first 
to  the  sepulchre  on  that  eventful  morning  saw  that  the  stone 
was  rolled  away,  Mary  Magdalene  immediately  conjectured 
that  something  was  wrong ;  and,  without  waiting  a  moment 
to  see  what  had  occurred,  she  ran  into  the  city,  and  told  Pe- 
ter and  John.  While  she  was  absent  on  this  mission,  the 
other  women  had  a  vision  of  angels,  and  as  they  were  return- 
ing to  the  city  met  Jesus  himself,  who  said  unto  them,  "All 
hail !"  and  gave  them  a  message  to  his  followers.  They  had 
left  the  garden  before  Peter  and  John  had  time  to  reach  it, 
and  so  there  was  no  one  there  when  John  came  in  eager 
haste,  followed  by  the  panting  Peter.  The  beloved  disciple 
only  looked  into  the  sepulchre,  but  the  bold  and  impulsive 
apostle  went  in  to  it  at  once ;  then  John  followed,  and  while 
they  were  there,  they  saw  in  a  moment  what  had  occurred. 
The  faith  of  the  women  was  so  faint  that  angels  were  needed 
to  confirm  it ;  but  already  these  two  apostles  were  so  strong 
in  this  grace  that,  even  without  the  assurance  of  the  angelic 
attendants,  they  believed. 

It  has  been  usual  with  expositors  to  remark  on  the  fact 
that  John  outran  Peter  on  the  way  to  the  sepulchre,  as  if  it 
indicated  that  love  is  swifter  than  zeal ;  but,  in  truth,  there 
was  nothing  very  remarkable  in  the  case,  for  Peter  was  con- 
siderably the  older  man,  and  it  was  natural,  therefore,  that 


By  the  Lake  of  Galilee.  157 

he  should  fall  behind.  But  in  his  prompt  entrance  into  the 
tomb  on  the  very  moment  of  his  arrival  at  it,  there  was  char- 
acter, and  we  recognize  at  once  the  rapid  and  decisive  move- 
ment of  the  impulsive  man.  After  their  departure  from  the 
garden,  Mary  Magdalene  returned  to  it,  and  had  that  deeply 
touching  interview  with  the  Lord  which  John  has  described. 
Then,  some  time  in  the  course  of  the  day,  Jesus  met  Peter 
alone,  and  we  may  suppose  that,  in  that  interview,  the  peni- 
tent disciple  was  re-assured  by  the  reception  of  forgiveness 
from  his  Lord. 

In  the  afternoon  Jesus  appeared  to  the  two  disciples  who 
were  going  to  Emmaus,  and  in  the  evening  to  the  company 
of  his  followers,  who,  with  the  exception  of  Thomas,  had  as- 
sembled in  an  upper  room.  Then,  eight  days  afterward,  he 
came  again  into  the  midst  of  them,  and  convinced  Thomas 
that  he  was  indeed  risen  from  the  dead.  On  both  of  these 
occasions  Peter  must  have  been  present,  but  nothing  was 
said  in  either  interview  which  had  any  special  reference  to 
him.  The  Lord  waited  until  he  met  him  again  on  the  mar- 
gin of  that  lake  where  first  he  had  called  him  to  the  apos- 
tleship,  and  there,  amidst  the  scenes  and  memories  of  the 
past,  he  gave  him,  in  the  presence  of  his  brethren,  a  fresh 
commission  to  the  pastoral  work. 

The  apostles  had  gone  to  Galilee  in  obedience  to  the 
command  which  Jesus  had  given  them,  and  there  Peter,  and 
Thomas,  and  Nathanael,  and  James,  and  John,  with  two  oth- 
ers whose  names  are  not  mentioned,  were  together,  when 
Peter  proposed  to  go  on  a  fishing  expedition,  and  the  rest 
volunteered  to  accompany  him.  They  went  forth  at  once ; 
but,  though  they  toiled  all  night,  they  caught  nothing.  At 
length,  when  the  morning  broke,  they  saw  One  standing  on 
the  shore,  and  as  they  drew  near  he  called  to  them,  "  Chil- 
dren, have  ye  any  meat  ?"  They  answered  him,  "  No  ;"  and 
he  called  again  to  them,  "  Cast  the  net  on  the  right  side  of 


158  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

the  ship,  and  ye  shall  find."  The  command  could  not  fail 
to  remind  them  of  the  former  occasion  when  their  Master 
had,  after  a  night  of  failure,  brought  to  them,  by  a  similar  in- 
junction, a  signal  success ;  and  there  is  little  doubt  that  the 
alacrity  of  their  obedience  now  was  due  to  their  remem- 
brance of  their  experience  then.  They  cast  at  once,  and 
"they  were  not  able  to  draw  the  net  for  the  multitude  of 
fishes."  In  a  moment  the  keen  intuition  of  John  detected 
the  presence  of  their  beloved  Lord ;  and  so  soon  as  he  indi- 
cated his  belief  to  Peter,  that  disciple,  with  his  wonted  im- 
petuosity, girded  his  upper  coat  about  him,  and  threw  him- 
self into  the  lake,  swimming  a  hundred  yards  or  so  in  his 
eager  haste  to  be  the  first  to  do  homage  to  the  Master. 

With  greater  deliberation,  that  they  might  save  all  the 
fish,  the  others  came  in  the  boat,  and  after  they  had  counted 
their  take,  they  found  —  how  provided  they  knew  not,  and 
we  are  not  informed — a  fire  of  coals,  and  fish  thereon,  and 
bread.  Then,  at  the  invitation  of  the  Lord,  they  partook 
with  him  of  a  simple  meal,  well  assured  that  it  was  he,  yet 
feeling  too  much  reverence  in  his  presence  to  ask  any  defi- 
nite question  upon  the  subject. 

One  can  not  read  this  narrative  without  comparing  the 
circumstances  with  those  to  which  I  have  already  alluded, 
and  in  connection  with  which  the  fishermen  of  Bethsaida 
were  first  called  to  be  apostles.  On  both  occasions  the  mi- 
raculous success  was  given  after  a  night  of  disappointment. 
In  the  former  case,  there  was  no  record  of  the  fish ;  in  this 
they  were  carefully  counted.  Then  the  fish  were  taken  into 
the  boats  on  the  lake ;  now  they  are  drawn  at  once  to  the 
shore.  There  the  net  was  in  danger  of  breaking;  here 
there  was  no  sign  of  any  such  weakness  manifested.  After 
the  first  miracle,  they  were  called  to  be  fishers  of  men ;  after 
the  second,  they  are  invited  to  eat  with  Christ. 

Now,  if  it  be  true,  as  it  undoubtedly  is,  that  the  miracles 


By  the  Lake  of  Galilee.  159 

of  Jesus  were  symbols  as  well  as  wonders,  we  can  not  help 
seeing  in  these  two,  so  similar  and  yet  so  distinct,  something 
like  that  which  Trench  and  Wordsworth  have  indicated. 
We  give  the  condensed  summary  which  the  commentary  of 
the  latter  furnishes  :  "  The  former  miraculous  draught  rep- 
resents the  fishers  tossed  in  the  ship  of  the  Church,  on  the 
sea  of  this  world,  and  drawing  the  fish  into  the  net  of  the 

Church  visible This  second  miraculous  draught — that 

after  the  resurrection  —  represents  her  labor  done,  the  fish 
drawn  to  the  land  of  everlasting  life,  and  the  fishers  .... 
sitting  down  to  a  spiritual  banquet  with  their  Lord,  on  the 
peaceful  shore  of  Life  Everlasting,  after  their  own  resurrec- 
tion through  the  resurrection  of  Christ.'"* 

After  the  repast  was  ended,  the  Lord  addressed  to  Peter, 
three  times  over,  the  searching  inquiry,  "  Lovest  thou  me  ?" 
and  three  times  over  received,  substantially,  the  same  reply, 
"Thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee,"  which  on  each  occasion 
was  followed  by  a  command  having  special  reference  to  his 
future  life-work.  Now,  here  so  many  things  call  for  remark 
that,  for  the  sake  both  of  clearness  and  of  brevity,  we  shall 
take  them  in  formal  order. 

First,  you  will  observe  that  the  Lord  in  his  first  inquiry 
gives  prominence  to  Peter's  former  comparison  of  himself 
with  his  brethren.  You  remember  that  the  overconfident 
disciple  said,  "  Though  all  men  should  deny  thee,  yet  will  I 
never  deny  thee ;"  and  now,  after  his  terrible  discovery  of 
his  own  weakness,  the  Saviour  says  to  him,  "Lovest  thou 
me  more  than  these  ?"  The  humbled  Peter,  feeling  all  that 
the  words  imply,  is  careful,  in  his  reply,  to  say  nothing 
about  his  brethren,  and  is  as  far  as  possible  from  putting 
himself  above   them,  so  that  the  Lord  is  satisfied  on  that 

*  Wordsworth's  "Commentary  on  the  Greek  Testament"  on  the 
passage, 


i6o  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

point,  for  he  does  not  repeat  the  painful  expression  in  his 
later  questions. 

Second,  I  ask  you  to  bear  in  mind  that  there  is  a  varia- 
tion between  the  third  question  addressed  by  our  Lord  to 
Peter,  and  the  former  two.  In  our  English  version,  indeed, 
they  are  apparently  identical ;  but  in  the  Greek  language 
there  are  two  verbs  which  signify  "  to  love."  The  one  de- 
notes the  love  of  reverence  such  as  is  borne  toward  God  by 
the  pious  man ;  the  other  means  more  especially  the  love 
of  personal  warm  human  affection,  a  less  exalted  thing  than 
the  former,  more  intense  for  the  moment,  but  more  liable 
also  to  grow  cold.  Now,  in  his  first  and  second  questions 
to  Peter,  the  Saviour  employs  the  word  which  has  the  for- 
mer of  these  two  significations ;  but  Peter,  unwilling  to  as- 
sume the  assurance  of  employing  such  a  term,  answers  by 
using  the  verb  that  speaks  of  personal  endearment.  Then, 
on  the  third  occasion,  as  if  to  probe  the  apostle  to  the  very 
quick,  the  Lord  adopts  Peter's  own  word,  saying  to  him  virt- 
ually, "Well,  taking  even  thine  own  term,  art  thou  indeed  so 
sure  that  thou  art  thus  attached  to  me  by  personal  affection?" 
In  his  humility  and  grief  the  apostle  would  not  dare  to  say 
that  he  loved  the  Lord  with  that  reverence  with  which  as 
God  he  ought  to  be  regarded,  but  he  was  sure  he  loved  him 
with  an  ardor  similar  to,  but  more  intense  than,  that  which 
his  heart  cherished  for  his  dearest  ones  on  earth ;  and  then, 
descending  to  his  own  level,  the  Master  asked  if  he  were 
indeed  convinced  that  he  loved  him  even  in  that  lower  sense. 

I  ask  you  to  remember,  in  the  third  place,  that  there  are 
similar  variations  in  the  words  which  convey  the  Saviour's 
charge  to  Peter.  In  our  version,  indeed,  we  have  the  one 
word  "  feed."  But  in  reality  there  are  two  different  Greek 
words  so  translated.*     The  one  first  used  signifies  "  to  pro- 

*  The  first  and  third  are  (36aKe  ;  the  second,  Trolfiaive, 


By  the  Lake  of  Galilee.  i6i 

vide  food  for ;"  that  employed  on  the  second  occasion  denotes 
"the  doing  of  the  office  of  a  shepherd  for;"  and  the  third 
is  identical  with  that  first  employed.  So,  again,  the  words  de- 
noting "  the  flock  "*  are,  first,  "  lambkins ;"  second,  "  sheep  ;" 
and,  third,  "  sheeplings  ;"  and  we  may  translate  the  three  in- 
junctions thus,  "  Feed  my  lambkins,"  "  Shepherd  my  sheep," 
"  Feed  my  sheeplings."  Probably  Alford  gives  the  best  ex- 
planation of  these  distinctions  when  he  says:  "Perhaps  the 
feeding  of  the  lambkins  was  the  furnishing  of  the  apostolic 
testimony  of  the  resurrection  and  facts  of  the  Lord's  life  on 
earth  to  the  first  converts ;  the  shepherding,  or  ruling  of  the 
sheep,  the  subsequent  government  of  the  Church  as  shown 
in  the  early  part  of  the  Acts  ;  the  feeding  of  the  sheeplings, 
the  choicest  part  of  the  flock,  the  furnishing  of  the  now  ma- 
turer  Church  of  Christ  with  the  wholesome  food  of  the  doc- 
trines contained  in  his  epistles."t  It  is  difficult  to  give  the 
precise  shades  of  difference  between  the  expressions,  yet  we 
must  believe  that  some  such  distinction  as  Alford  has  thus 
drawn  out  was  intended  to  be  marked  by  the  employment 
of  these  several  terms. 

In  connection  with  these  repeated  injunctions,  the  Lord 
goes  on  to  speak  of  the  manner  of  Peter's  death.  Drawing 
a  contrast  between  the  vigor  of  youth  and  the  weakness  of 
age,  the  liberty  of  freedom  and  the  constraint  of  imprison- 
ment, he  said,  with  a  tone  of  pathos  trembling  through  his 
words,  that  a  day  should  come  when  his  servant  would 
stretch  forth  his  hand,  and  another  should  gird  him  and  car- 
ry him  whither  he  would  not. 

Now  let  us  mark  the  intimate  connection  between  the  giv- 
ing of  this  prediction  at  this  particular  time  by  Jesus,  and 
the  spirit  of  humility  which  Peter  had  first  manifested.     On 

*  They  are  dpvia,  Trpoftara,  and  TrpojiaTia. 

t  Alford's  "Greek  Testament"  on  the  passage. 


102  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

the  occasion  of  the  disciple's  overconfidence  when  he  had 
said,  "Though  all  men  should  deny  thee,  yet  will  I  never 
deny  thee ;  I  will  lay  down  my  life  for  thy  sake,"  the  Sav- 
iour replied,  "  The  cock  shall  not  crow  until  thou  hast  de- 
nied me  thrice."  But  here,  when  in  deep  humility  he  will 
not  put  himself  above  the  others,  and  will  not  even  bring 
himself  to  say  that  he  loves  the  Lord  with  that  exalted  and 
reverential  affection  which  Christ's  own  word  implied,  while 
yet  he  affirms  that  he  did  love  him  in  a  very  true  and  real 
sense,  the  Master  virtually  says  to  him,  "  Now  thou  hast  at- 
tained to  the  martyr  spirit :  keep  that  humble  disposition  al- 
ways, and  the  day  will  come  when,  as  thou  wantedst  so  much 
to  do,  thou  wilt  follow  me  even  to  the  cross.  Thou  couldst 
not  understand  why  I  said  to  thee, '  Whither  I  go  thou  canst 
not  follow  me  now,  but  thou  shalt  follow  me  afterward,'  and 
thou  saidst  somewhat  impatiently, '  Why  can  not  1  follow  thee 
now  ?'  I  could  not  explain  it  to  thee  at  the  time,  but  thou 
seest  the  reason  now.  Thy  present  temper  is  that  of  the 
martyr,  and  with  that  self-distrustful  spirit  and  that  love  to 
me  which  thou  hast  just  confessed,  thou  shalt  follow  me  even 
to  the  cross,  and  glorify  me  in  death."  ^  ^^       - 

That  Peter  did  thus  die  for  his  Lord  has  been  the  uniform 
tradition.  The  story  is  that  he  was  crucified,  and  that  he 
requested  that  he  should  be  fastened  to  the  cross  with  his 
head  downward,  because  he  considered  that  it  would  be  too 
great  an  honor  for  him  to  suffer  precisely  as  the  Saviour  did. 
But  whatever  weight  may  be  given  to  the  testimony  of  tra- 
dition as  to  the  manner  of  his  death,  the  point  of  the  allusion 
to  it  here  lies  in  the  fact  that  while  his  former  self-confidence 
made  him  a  coward  in  the  hour  of  trial,  his  present  humili- 
ty and  love  would  give  him  such  steadfastness  that,  even 
though  his  death  should  be  of  the  most  torturing  description, 
■|he  should  yet  glorify  God  in  dying. 
I     As   he    heard  this   prediction    regarding    himself,   Peter 


By  the  Lake  of  Galilee.  163 

chanced  to  see  John,  the  well -beloved,  coming  up  behind 
him,  and  either  from  his  deep  interest  in  one  who  had  been 
his  partner,  first  in  secular  business,  and  afterward  in  spirit- 
ual labors,  or  from  simple  curiosity,  or  on  the  mere  impulse 
of  the  moment,  he  said  to  Jesus,  "  Lord,  and  what  shall  this 
man  do  ?"  But  that  was  a  matter  with  which  he  had  really 
nothing  whatever  to  do.  So  the  Master  answered,  "  If  I  will 
that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to  thee.?  follow  thou 
me."  Different  interpretations  have  been  given  of  this  re- 
"ply.  Some  take  it  as  an  intimation  that  John  should  live  un- 
til the  coming  of  the  Lord,  understanding  by  that  coming  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem.  Others,  however,  believe  that  the 
words  give  no  indication  whatever  of  the  duration  of  the  life 
of  the  beloved  disciple,  and  regard  the  whole  sentence  as  hy- 
pothetical, understanding  the  coming  of  Christ  alluded  to  as 
his  final  coming  to  judgment.  With  these  last  we  agree,  in- 
asmuch as  the  Evangelist's  own  comment  on  the  words  seems 
to  us  to  be  designed  to  draw  special  attention  to  the  hypo- 
thetical character  of  the  saying.  It  was  a  reproof  to  Peter, 
put  in  the  strongest  form,  as  if  he  had  replied, "  Thou  hast 
nothing  to  do  with  that :  even  if  it  should  be  my  will  con- 
cerning him  that  he  should  remain  upon  the  earth  till  I  come 
again  to  judgment,  that  would  be  no  affair  of  thine.  Thy 
duty,  present  and  perpetual,  is  to  follow  me." 

"If  you  drive  nature  out  with  a  fork,  yet  it  will  come  back 
again."  That  was  an  old  Roman  saying,  and  one  can  not  but 
be  reminded  of  it  here.  Even  at  this  solemn  moment,  just 
after  his  searching  examination  by  the  Lord,  and  when  his 
mind  had  been  directed  to  the  time  and  manner  of  his  own 
death,  Peter's  temperamental  disposition  asserts  its  power, 
and  he  goes  off  at  a  tangent  after  a  matter  that  did  not  con- 
cern him  at  all.  We  do  not  think  the  less  of  him  for  it,  yet 
we  can  hardly  help  smiling  at  it.  And  as  we  read  the  rec- 
ord we  say  to  ourselves,  "  That  was  Peter  all  over  " — ever 


164  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

blundering  without  intending  it,  and  almost  without  know- 
ing it !  Wherever  we  find  him,  he  is  the  same  big-hearted, 
impulsive,  generous,  yet  awkward  and  indiscreet  man.  Re- 
hable  in  the  main,  he  was  very  uncertain  in  minute  matters, 
and  exceedingly  apt  to  be  switched  off  into  some  ridiculous 
siding,  when  he  should  have  kept  on  the  right  line  of  duty 
and  devotion  to  his  Lord.  Yet  with  all  his  blunders  we  love 
him  still;  and  we  can  almost  condone  his  awkwardness  when 
we  think  of  the  valuable  principles  which,  in  the  way  of  ex- 
postulation and  reproof,  they  elicited  from  his  Lord. 

I  have  gone  so  fully  into  this  delightful  chapter  that  I 
have  left  myself  but  little  time  for  any  practical  improve- 
ment of  the  subject;  yet  I  can  not  conclude  without  giving 
prominence  to  three  things  suggested  by  the  subject  as  a 
whole. 

Observe,  then,  in  the  first  place,  the  wide  range  of  the 
pastoral  office.  When  Jesus  called  his  apostles,  he  said  to 
them,  "  Follow  me,  and  I  will  make  you  fishers  of  men,"  and 
his  words  on  that  occasion  seem  to  point  most  especially  to 
the  bringing  of  men  to  him ;  but  on  the  occasion  before  me 
he  takes  his  illustration  from  the  office  of  a  shepherd,  and 
thereby  reminds  us  that  the  true  and  faithful  minister  must 
exercise  himself  as  much  in  the  feeding  and  shepherding  of 
those  who  are  already  Christians  as  in  laboring  for  the  con- 
version of  sinners.  This  is  a  point  which  is  apt  to  be  lost 
sight  of  among  us  ;  for  our  church  arrangements  have,  I  fear, 
been  made  too  exclusively  for  the  bringing  of  souls  to  Christ, 
and  not  enough  for  the  feeding  and  training  of  Christians. 
Thus  the  pastor  preaches,  the  Sabbath-school  teacher  labors, 
the  brethren  exhort,  and  the  devout  generally  pray,  that 
souls  may  be  brought  into  the  kingdom.  Church  member- 
ship is  the  goal  they  set  before  them ;  and  when  those  in 
whom  they  are  interested  come  so  far  as  to  make  a  public 
confession  of  their  faith,  that  is  enough ;  they  are  forthwith 


By  the  Lake  of  Galilee.  165 

left  to  take  care  of  themselves,  and  the  zealous  laborers  go 
after  others. 

Now,  no  doubt,  this  ought  to  be  done,  but  just  as  surely 
the  other  ought  not  to  be  left  undone ;  and  whenever  the 
minister  is  exclusively  a  fisherman,  and  neglects  the  labor 
of  the  shepherd,  he  is  only  doing  half  his  work.  He  is  like 
a  man  in  a  boat  who  seeks  to  propel  it  with  one  oar,  and 
who  succeeds  only  in  making  it  spin  round  in  a  ceaseless 
circle.  He  will  make  no  progress  ;  and  his  people  will  lack 
intelligence.  They  will  be  Christians,  indeed,  but  they  will 
belong  to  the  invertebrate  species,  having  no  backbone,  and 
they  will  be  of  small  account  in  the  conflicts  and  contro- 
versies of  the  times. 

The  evangelist  who  passes  from  place  to  place  may  re- 
strict himself  to  the  duties  of  handing  sinners  through  the 
wicket-gate,  and  starting  them  out  on  their  pilgrimage ;  but 
the  stated  pastor  must  make  up  to  the  wayfarers  at  the  sep- 
arate stages  of  their  journey,  and  give  to  each  the  direction 
he  requires.  He  must  not  neglect  to  preach  to  sinners. 
So  far  from  that,  he  must  embrace  every  opportunity  of  pro- 
claiming to  his  perishing  fellow-men  the  good  news  of  salva- 
tion through  Christ ;  but  neither  must  he  neglect  to  feed  the 
lambkins  already  in  the  fold,  or  to  shepherd  those  who  have 
already  found  the  Lord.  He  must  rightly  divide  the  word 
of  truth,  and  give  to  every  one  his  portion  of  meat  in  due 
season.  Hence,  it  is  unjust  in  the  highest  degree  to  com- 
pare the  work  of  the  devoted  pastor  who  is  seeking  to  lead 
out  his  flock  with  that  of  the  evangelist. 

I  rejoice  with  my  whole  heart  in  the  success  of  those  ear- 
nest men  who  go  from  city  to  city  holding  aloft  the  cross  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  but  let  them  settle  down  as  pastors 
for  years  over  the  same  flocks,  and  they,  too,  will  have  to 
look  for  the  results  of  their  labors  in  the  growth  of  character 
among  their  people  as  much  as  in  the  number  of  conversions. 


1 66  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

The  pastor  is  to  be  a  teacher  as  well  as  an  evangelist.  He 
has  to  combine  in  himself  the  work  of  the  baptist  as  a  preach- 
er of  repentance,  with  that  of  the  Christian  apostle  as  a 
writer  of  doctrinal  epistles ;  and  his  labor  is  as  needful  as  a 
supplement  to  that  of  the  evangelist  as  that  of  the  evangel- 
ist is  as  an  introduction  to  his  own. 

You  can  not,  therefore,  measure  the  success  of  a  church 
by  the  number  of  conversions.  No  doubt  it  is  highly  desir- 
able that  there  should  be  many  of  these ;  but  there  should 
be  also  the  development  of  Christians  in  meekness,  purity, 
benevolence,  liberality,  and  steadfastness.  We  must  not  be 
so  occupied  in  getting  the  sheep  into  the  fold  as  to  forget  to 
feed  those  who  are  already  in  it. 

Observe,  in  the  second  place,  the  true  motive  for  Christian 
work.  The  Lord  did  not  say  to  Peter,  "  Lovest  thou  the 
work  ?"  or  "  Lovest  thou  my  lambs  ?"  but  "  Lovest  thou  me  ?" 
for  the  most  potent  principle  in  the  Christian  heart  is  love  to 
Christ.  Yet  we  are  too  prone  to  forget  that  this  is  the  case, 
and  so  we  dwarf  even  our  best  efforts  by  engaging  in  them 
from  motives  which,  though  good  enough  in  themselves,  are 
lower  than  the  highest. 

Some  of  us  work  mainly  from  a  sense  of  duty.  Now,  I 
will  not  say  a  word  against  that  principle.  There  is  much 
in  it  which  is  truly  laudable ;  and  many  noble  men  have 
been  nerved  by  it  to  do  good  work  and  true  in  the  Church 
and  in  the  world.  But,  after  all,  duty  is  a  cold  and  stern 
thing  when  compared  with  love,  and  though  it  may  carry 
you  through  labor  without  difficulty,  yet  the  work  itself  will 
not  be  so  noble  as  it  would  have  been  if  it  had  been  inspired 
by  love.  Let  any  one  try  it  in  his  own  experience,  and  he 
will  understand  the  difference  at  once.  You  see  a  friend  in 
spiritual  jeopardy,  and  you  feel  you  ought  to  say  to  him  a 
word  of  warning.  Your  conscience  is  alive  ;  and  you  go  to 
him  because  you  feel  you  must.     But  what  is  the  result.'* 


By  the  Lake  of  Galilee.  167 

Either  you  do  the  work  in  a  perfunctory  manner,  so  as  to 
satisfy  conscience  with  a  plausible  attention  to  its  require- 
ments, or,  wishing  to  be  very  thorough,  you  overdo  it,  and 
you  wound  the  heart  of  your  friend  by  your  unfeeling  stern- 
ness. Now,  suppose  you  had  gone  to  him  from  a  regard 
to  Christ,  and  with  a  vivid  remembrance  of  the  Lord's  own 
gentleness  to  you,  how  different  it  would  have  been  !  The 
very  effectiveness  of  your  expostulation  would  have  been  in 
its  tenderness,  and  your  friend  would  have  embraced  you 
even  in  the  moment  of  your  faithfulness. 

Others  work  from  love  to  their  fellow-men,  and  that  also 
is  a  good  principle  enough.  There  is  much  to  be  said  in  its 
favor,  and  in  some  cases  it  may  lead  to  better  results  than 
those  which  are  produced  when  one  is  animated  only  by  a 
sense  of  duty.  But  that  also  is  defective.  For  our  fellow- 
men  may  meet  us  with  ingratitude,  and  it  is  hard  to  continue 
to  work  for  those  who  do  not  care  to  receive  our  good  of- 
fices. Hence,  if  we  have  no  higher  motive  than  the  love  of 
our  neighbor,  we  shall  very  soon  become  weary  in  well-do- 
ing, and  give  up  the  whole  enterprise  in  disgust.  But  we 
shall  never  do  that  while  we  are  working  from  love  to  Christ. 
How  he  bore  with  our  defiance  of  him,  with  our  ingratitude 
to  him,  and  with  our  rejection  of  his  proffered  salvation  ! 
How  he  continued  to  work  for  us  until  he  led  us  at  length 
to  peace  and  joy  in  himself!  When  we  think  of  these 
things  we  can  never  despair  of  another,  and  we  can  never 
be  reconciled  to  give  up  our  exertions  on  his  behalf.  There 
is  no  zeal  so  patient,  persevering,  persistent,  and  undying  as 
that  which  is  rooted  in  love  to  Christ.  Hence,  if  we  would 
do  the  noblest  possible  work  among  men,  we  ought  to  be 
animated  by  this  lofty  principle.  Is  not  the  secret  of  our 
failures  in  the  past  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  we  have  not 
been  working  from  this  motive } 

If  you  would  have  pressure  in  the  water-pipe,  you  must 


1 68  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

bring  your  water  from  a  lofty  reservoir.  I  remember  that, 
on  one  Lord's  day  in  Liverpool,  a  fire  broke  out  in  the  top- 
most story  of  one  of  those  lofty  cotton  warehouses  that  line 
the  docks,  and  when  the  firemen  fastened  the  hose  to  the 
hydrants  there  was  not  force  enough  to  send  the  water  up 
to  the  place  where  the  conflagration  was ;  so  the  whole  was 
burned.  Now,  something  like  this  is  constantly  occurring 
in  spiritual  things.  We  try  to  extinguish  the  flames  of  sin 
and  misery  in  the  world,  and  we  mean  right  well ;  but  we 
can  not  reach  by  our  efforts  the  seat  of  the  evil,  for  we  are 
not  drawing  our  water  from  the  loftiest  reservoir ;  there  is 
not  pressure  enough  to  send  it  up,  and  therefore  it  falls  short 
of  that  at  which  we  aim. 

"Lovest  thou  me?  Feed  my  lambs."  There  is  the  prin- 
ciple. "  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least 
of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me."  There  is 
the  reward.  Oh,  who  may  tell  what  like  that  banquet  shall 
be  on  the  shores  of  immortality,  when  Jesus  shall  say  unto 
his  servants, "  Blessed  are  ye  who  are  called  to  the  marriage 
supper  of  the  Lamb  ?" 

Finally,  observe  that  difliculties  about  those  things  with 
which  we  have  nothing  to  do  ought  not  to  keep  us  from 
performing  the  plain  duty  of  following  Christ.  Beneath 
these  words  of  our  Lord  to  Peter,  "  What  is  that  to  thee  "i 
Follow  thou  me,"  there  is  a  principle  that  is  applicable  in 
many  circumstances  still.  There  is  a  clear  obligation  rest- 
ing upon  each  of  us  to  strive  to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate, 
and  to  follow  Christ.  These  things  have  to  be  done  by  us 
if  we  would  be  saved  ourselves,  and  it  is  folly  for  us  to  inca- 
pacitate ourselves  for  that  which  ought  to  be  the  great  busi- 
ness of  our  lives,  by  allowing  our  minds  to  be  preoccupied 
with  difficulties  which  we  never  can  solve,  and  for  the  exist- 
ence of  which  we  are  not  responsible.  The  practical,  which 
lies  before  us,  which  we  can  accomplish,  and  for  the  accom- 


By  the  Lake  of  Galilee.  169 

plishment  of  which  we  shall  be  held  responsible  —  that  is 
for  us  the  important  thing.  The  speculative,  the  unrevealed, 
the  insoluble — these  belong  to  God ;  and  if  we  would  have 
the  greatest  enjoyment  in  our  lives,  and  make  the  best  out 
of  them  for  ourselves  and  others,  we  shall  leave  these  to 
God,  and  be  content,  each  one  for  himself,  to  work  in  his  lit- 
tle portion  of  the  great  pattern  of  history,  ignorant  of  its 
bearing  upon  the  rest,  but  believing  that,  if  we  follow  Christ, 
all  will  be  right  at  last.  AVhen,  therefore,  I  hear  friends  dis- 
tressing themselves  about  the  entrance  of  sin  into  the  world, 
or  about  the  mysteries  continually  recurring  in  the  admin- 
istration of  Providence,  or  about  the  doctrine  of  the  divine 
purposes,  or  even  about  the  meaning  of  unfulfilled  prophecy, 
I  am  disposed  to  say  unto  them,  What  are  these  things  to 
you?  Follow  Christ.  These  matters  belong  to  God.  He 
has  chosen  to  put  them  in  his  own  power.  You  are  not  re- 
sponsible for  them.  He  will  take  care  of  them.  Depend 
upon  it,  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  will  do  right.  Leave  these 
matters,  therefore,  to  him.  Walk  in  the  light.  Do  the  work 
w^hich  the  Lord  has  plainly  set  before  you.  Cultivate  the 
Christian  character,  and  give  yourselves  to  the  advancement 
of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  That  is  yours — all  else  is  God's. 
These  intricate  matters  will  become  hopelessly  tangled  in 
your  hands.  Let  God  unwind  them  in  his  own  time,  and  he 
will  keep  them  clear.  Ah,  how  much  happier  we  should  be 
if  we  should  trouble  ourselves  less  about  the  government  of 
the  world,  and  concern  ourselves  more  about  our  own  per- 
sonal duty ! 

8 


XII. 

PENTECOST. 

Acts  ii. 

FROM  Galilee  the  apostles  and  many  of  the  brethren 
returned  to  Jerusalem,  in  the  neighborhood  of  which, 
forty  days  after  his  resurrection,  they  saw  the  Lord  ascend 
from  Olivet  into  heaven.  Immediately  before  he  was  parted 
from  them  by  the  cloud  which  received  him  out  of  their 
sight,  "he  commanded  them  that  they  should  not  depart 
from  Jerusalem,  but  wait  for  the  promise  of  the  Father,"  and 
assured  them  that  they  should  be  "  baptized  with  the  Holy 
Ghost  not  many  days"  after.  So  soon,  therefore,  as  they 
returned  to  the  cit}',  they  gave  themselves  to  devotional 
preparation  for  the  great  blessing  which  they  were  thus  ear- 
ly to  receive ;  and  took  measures,  at  the  suggestion  of  Pe- 
ter, to  secure  the  appointment  of  one  who  should  be  num- 
bered with  the  apostles  in  the  place  of  Judas.  Then  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost  the  expected  Spirit  came,  and  the  work  of 
the  Church  was  inaugurated  by  a  success  as  signal  as  that 
which  attended  the  efforts  of  the  fishermen  when  the  Master 
said,  "Launch  out  into  the  deep,  and  let  down  your  nets  for 
a  draught" 

The  name  Pentecost,  which  is  simply  the  Greek  word  sig- 
nifying fiftieth,  was  given  to  this  Jewish  feast  from  the  mode 
in  which  its  date  was  fixed.  It  was  to  be  held  forty-nine 
days  after  the  presentation  of  the  first  ripe  sheaf;  and  as  that 
service  was  performed  on  the  second  day  of  the  Passover, 
Pentecost  was  just  fifty  days  after  the  first  day  of  the  Pass- 


Pentecost.  171 

over.  It  was  also  called  the  "feast  of  the  harvest "  and  the 
"feast  of  the  first-fruits,"  because  a  part  of  its  ceremonies  con- 
sisted in  the  offering  to  God  of  the  first-fruits  of  the  crop  as 
actually  realized  and  ready  for  use.  This  was  done  by  the 
"  waving  "  of  two  baked  loaves  ;  but  in  addition  to  that  serv- 
ice, which  was  performed  by  the  priest  for  the  whole  nation, 
each  individual  worshiper  was  enjoined  to  give  his  personal 
offering  of  first-fruits,*  "  a  tribute  of  the  free-will  offering  of 
his  hand,  which  he  was  to  give  according  as  the  Lord  his 
God  had  blessed  him."  Jewish  writers  say  that  the  par- 
ticular form  of  confession  and  thanksgiving  prescribed  in 
Deuteronomy  xxvi.,  5-10,  and  beginning  with  the  words,  "A 
Syrian  ready  to  perish  was  my  father,"  was  used  on  this  oc- 
casion. The  feast  at  first  lasted  only  one  day,  but  in  the 
later  years  of  Jewish  history  it  was  prolonged  into  several 
days.  It  was  primarily  designed  to  teach  the  people  to  ac- 
knowledge the  goodness  of  God  in  giving  the  blessing  of  the 
harvest,  and  was,  in  brief,  the  Thanksgiving-day  of  ancient 
Israel. 

Two  reasons  may  be  assigned  for  its  selection  as  the  date 
for  the  first  great  manifestation  of  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  the  Christian  Church.  One  is  connected  with  the 
typical  character  of  the  feast  itself  In  its  reference  to  the 
Christian  life,  the  services  of  Pentecost  suggest  to  us  the 
duty  of  presenting  ourselves  as  redeemed  and  regenerated 
to  God.  They  say  to  us,  "  Ye  are  not  your  own,"  and  they 
exhort  us  to  make  our  bodies  "  living  sacrifices,  holy  and  ac- 
ceptable to  God,  which  is  our  reasonable  service."  On  the 
day  of  the  Passover,  Christ,  by  the  sacrifice  of  himself,  ush- 
ered in  the  harvest  of  the  world.  On  the  day  of  Pentecost, 
the  Spirit  descended,  turning  the  fruits  of  grace  into  the 
bread  of  life,  received  and  fed  upon  by  the  souls  of  men,  and 

*  Deut.  xvi.,  10. 


172  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

leading  them  to  offer  themselves  unto  God  according  as 
James  has  said,  "  Of  his  own  will  begat  he  us  with  the  word 
of  truth,  that  we  should  be  a  kind  of  first-fruits  of  his  creat- 
ures." 

The  second  reason  for  the  selection  of  Pentecost  for  the 
descent  of  the  Spirit  is  to  be  found  in  the  number  of  Jews 
from  all  quarters  of  the  world  who  attended  that  feast.  The 
city  was  filled  with  strangers  who  had  come  to  take  part  in 
the  popular  festival  of  the  Mosaic  year ;  and  so,  through  the- 
conversion  of  many  of  them  to  Christ,  the  seed  of  the  Gos- 
pel was  introduced  at  once  to  many  lands,  in  which  it  grew 
up  and  brought  forth  abundant  fruit. 

In  the  early  morning,  the  whole  number  of  the  disciples, 
amounting,  as  we  learn  from  the  preceding  chapter,  to  one 
hundred  and  twenty,  had  assembled,  in  all  likelihood  as  on 
the  previous  days,  for  prayer  in  one  place.  Some  have  sup- 
posed that  they  met  in  one  of  the  chambers  connected  with 
the  Temple  ;  but  besides  the  fact  that  this  is  not  even  hinted 
at  in  the  narrative,  it  is  in  itself  immensely  improbable ;  for 
the  chief  priests  and  scribes  must  have  had  still  within  them 
that  enmity  to  the  Gospel  which  showed  itself  in  the  cruci- 
fixion of  the  Lord,  and  we  can  not  believe  that  they  would 
permit  his  followers  thus  statedly  to  come  together  within 
the  sacred  precinct.  It  is,  therefore,  in  my  judgment,  much 
more  likely  that  they  met  in  the  upper  room,  already  dear 
to  them  from  its  association  with  the  Last  Supper,  and  with 
their  first  meetings  with  the  risen  Lord.  But,  however  that 
question  may  be  settled,  we  are  informed  by  the  historian 
that,  while  they  were  together,  there  came  a  sudden  sound  as 
of  a  tempest,  which  filled  the  house  where  they  were  sitting ; 
and  along  with  that  sign  to  the  ear  there  was  another  to  the 
eye,  in  the  appearance  of  fire  parted  into  separate  tongue- 
like flames,  each  of  which  sat  upon  the  head  of  one  of  the 
disciples.     Amidst  these  external  manifestations,  there  was 


Pentecost.  173 

communicated  to  each  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  so  that  he 
was  lifted  up  into  a  loftier  spiritual  condition,  in  which  his 
perception  was  clearer,  his  emotional  nature  more  active, 
and  his  whole  experience  so  exalted,  that  it  found  utterance 
for  itself  in  a  tongue  which  up  till  that  moment  had  been 
strange  to  him. 

The  loud  sound  as  of  a  tempest  was  heard  through  all 
the  city,  and  created  such  a  ferment  as  would  be  produced 
to-night  on  this  island  by  some  immense  explosion.  As  a 
consequence,  a  multitude  soon  assembled  round  the  house 
to  which  the  peculiar  phenomenon  had  been  traced.  But 
as  the  crowd  stood  round,  a  still  greater  marvel  was  per- 
ceived ;  for  as  the  disciples  within  continued  to  praise  God 
for  his  wonderful  works,  each  one  of  the  foreign  spectators 
heard  some  one  of  the  speakers  use  his  own  vernacular. 
"And  they  were  all  amazed  and  marveled,  saying  one  to  an- 
other, Behold,  are  not  all  these  which  speak  Galileans,  and 
how  hear  we  every  man  in  our  own  tongue,  wherein  we  were 
born  ?" 

Much  has  been  written  regarding  this  miracle,  and  many 
different  opinions  have  been  entertained  concerning  it,  but  we 
can  not  give  any  thing  like  an  exhaustive  treatment  to  the  sub- 
ject here.     The  following  things,  however,  seem  to  be  clear : 

I.  It  was  a  special  gift  to  the  disciples,  enabling  them  to 
do  something  which  up  till  that  time  had  been  to  them  im- 
possible. So  much  is  apparent  on  the  very  surface  of  the 
record ;  and  we  wonder  how  any  interpreters  could  imagine 
that  the  effect  wrought  by  the  Spirit  was  produced  by  mira- 
cle on  the  ears  of  the  hearers  rather  than  on  the  tongues  of 
the  speakers.  If  this  had  really  been  the  case,  then  the 
proper  name  for  the  Divine  blessing  would  have  been  "  the 
gift  of  ears  "  rather  than  "  the  gift  of  tongues,"  and  the  sym- 
bolical fire  would  have  rested  on  the  multitude  rather  than 
on  the  disciples. 


174  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

2.  The  effect  of  the  miracle  was  that  the  disciples  spoke 
intelligibly  in  certain  known  and  recognizable  languages. 
We  can  not  tell  whether  they  were  endowed  with  a  knowl- 
edge, for  the  time,  of  so  much  of  these  languages  as  they  re- 
quired for  the  employment  of  them  in  the  praise  of  God,  or 
whether  the  Holy  Spirit  used  their  vocal  organs  simply  as 
the  vehicles  for  the  utterances  which  he  himself  was  making. 
It  is  more  in  harmony  with  his  general  procedure  in  the  in- 
spiration of  his  servants,  however,  to  suppose  that  he  em- 
ployed their  intellects  as  well  as  their  tongues,  using  them 
thus  dynamically  rather  than  mechanically.  But,  however 
that  may  have  been,  the  result  was  that  they  spoke,  not  in 
unintelligible  sounds  or  in  an  unknown  tongue,  but  in  dia- 
lects used  at  home  by  the  different  foreign  Jews  who  were 
at  the  moment  hearing  them.  This  is  clear  from  the  confes- 
sion made  by  the  multitude,  "  We  do  hear  them  speak  in  our 
tongues  the  wonderful  works  of  God."  And  I  scarcely  think 
that  any  other  idea  would  have  been  derived  from  the  words 
of  Luke,  had  it  not  been  for  the  fact  that  many  expositors 
have  allowed  their  minds  to  be  confused  by  the  opinion  that 
the  phenomena  of  Pentecost  were  identical  with  those  de- 
scribed by  Paul  in  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  Corinthians,  and 
which  there  he  calls  a  "  speaking  with  tongues." 

Now,  it  is  beyond  all  doubt  that  there  were  certain 
points  of  similarity  between  the  two,  suggesting  the  common 
origin  of  both ;  but  it  is  equally  plain  that  some  things  at 
Pentecost  were  quite  different  from  those  described  by  Paul 
among  the  Corinthians ;  and  it  may  contribute  to  clearness 
in  our  understanding  of  the  subject  if  we  pause  a  moment  to 
indicate  the  things  in  which  they  were  similar,  and  those  in 
which  they  were  distinct.  I  can  not  do  this  better  than  it 
has  been  done  by  Lechler,  in  his  commentary  on  this  book.* 

*  In  Lange's  "  Critical,  Doctrinal,  and  Homiletical  Commentary." 


Pentecost.  175 

"(i)  It  was  in  both  cases  an  extraordinary  influence  and 
gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  (2)  On  both  occasions  the  Spirit  of 
God  took  possession  of  the  soul  of  the  speaker  with  great 
power,  insomuch  that  the  free  action  of  the  will,  and  the 
self-consciousness  of  the  (individual)  at  last  receded  ;  a  men- 
tal state  ensued  so  strange  and  mysterious  in  its  character  as 
to  produce  on  the  minds  of  some  spectators  the  impression, 
corresponding  to  their  general  views,  that  they  beheld  a  case 
of  drunkenness,  while  others  regarded  it  as  a  case  of  mad- 
ness. (3)  In  both  instances  this  speaking  with  tongues  (yXwo- 
(xaig  XaXelp)  did  not  result  in  a  didactic  discourse,  but  was 
the  language  of  devotion,  in  which  the  praise  and  honor  of 
God  were  proclaimed.  On  the  other  hand,  each  case  exhib- 
its distinctive  features  of  its  own:  (i)  The  speaking  of  the 
disciples  (Acts  iv.)  was  intelligible,  and  was  consequently 
understood  by  the  hearers  without  the  assistance  of  others ; 
whereas  the  Corinthian  speaking  with  tongues  could  not  possi- 
bly be  understood  without  the  aid  of  an  interpreter.  (2)  The 
speaking  described  in  Acts  was  clearly  a  speaking  in  for- 
eign languages,  whereas  not  a  single  distinct  and  unequiv- 
ocal expression  in  i  Corinthians  xiv.  intimates  that  such 
was  the  case."  We  conclude,  then,  that  while  the  two  things 
were  generically  the  same  in  their  origin,  they  were  specific- 
ally different  in  their  manifestations,  and  that  here  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Spirit  was  indicated  by  the  speaking,  on  the  part 
of  the  disciples,  of  certain  foreign  tongues,  so  that,  without 
the  aid  of  an  interpreter,  their  language  was  intelligible  to 
those  to  whom  these  tongues  were  vernacular. 

Thus  one  of  the  earliest  effects  of  the  work  of  Christ  was 
to  counteract  the  evil  of  the  confusion  of  tongues,  which 
came  as  the  punishment  of  human  pride  ;  and  it  may  be, 
too,  that  in  the  company  who  in  that  upper  room  were  prais- 
ing God  for  his  wonderful  works  in  many  different  tongues, 
we  have  a-n  anticipation  and  prophecy  of  the  white -robed 


176  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

throng,  "a  great  multitude  whom  no  man  could  number,  of 
all  nations,  and  kindred,  and  people,  and  tongues,"  whom 
John  saw  standing  before  the  throne,  and  whom  he  heard 
crying  with  a  loud  voice,  and  saying,  "  Salvation  to  our  God, 
which  sitteth  upon  the  throne  and  unto  the  Lamb." 

3.  The  narrative  here  does  not  furnish  us  with  sufficient 
data  on  which  to  form  an  opinion  whether  this  speaking  in 
foreign  tongues  was  a  permanent  endowment,  or  a  mere  tem- 
porary thing.  The  common  idea  is  that  the  first  apostles 
were  miraculously  gifted  with  a  knowledge  of  languages,  so 
that,  when  they  went  to  foreign  lands,  they  did  not  require  to 
spend  a  long  while  in  acquiring  the  vernacular.  But  there 
is  nothing  here,  or  in  the  rest  of  Luke's  history,  that  makes  it 
certain  that  such  was  the  case.  We  know  that  Greek  was 
so  widely  understood  at  that  time  throughout  the  world  that 
one  familiar  with  that  language  could  easily  make  himself  in- 
telligible anywhere ;  and  it  is  nowhere  said  in  the  account, 
for  example,  of  Paul's  missionary  journeys  that  he  spake  to 
his  hearers  in  their  native  tongue.  On  one  occasion,  indeed, 
it  would  seem  that  his  ignorance  of  the  local  dialect  prevent- 
ed him  from  taking  as  prompt  measures  as  he  otherwise 
would  have  done  to  keep  the  men  of  Lystra  from  offering 
sacrifice  to  him  and  Barnabas  f  and,  on  the  other  hand,  it 
does  appear  that  in  his  intercourse  with  the  inhabitants  of 
Malta  he  evinced  a  familiarity  with  their  speech,t  which 
suggests  that  he  had  a  special  and  peculiar  endowment 
in  that  department.  On  the  whole,  therefore,  we  have  not 
here,  or  indeed  anywhere  else  in  Scripture,  sufficient  grounds 
for  dogmatically  asserting  either  that  the  gift  of  tongues 
was  or  was  not  a  permanent  endowment  of  the  primitive 
Church. 

As  the  multitude  listened  to  the  strange  sounds,  and  gazed 


*  Acts  xiv.,  13-18.  t  Ibid,  xxiii.,  i-io. 


Pentecost.  177 

upon  the  singular  spectacle,  different  opinions  were  express- 
ed regarding  them.  Some,  recognizing  their  own  language, 
cried,  "  What  meaneth  this  V  Others,  not  hearing,  perhaps, 
their  own  mother-tongues,  and  deafened  by  what  must  have 
seemed  to  them  an  unmeaning  babblement,  cried,  "  These 
men  are  full  of  new  wine."  "^ 

And  now,  the  miracle  having  served  its  purpose  in  arous- 
ing attention,  or,  as  John  Foster  has  very  admirably  put  it, 
*'  the  miracle  having  rung  the  great  bell  of  the  universe," 
and  thus  gathered  together  an  eagerly  inquisitive  multitude, 
Peter  stood  forth  to  vindicate  his  brethren,  and  to  proclaim 
the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  He  began  by  affirming  that  it 
was  impossible  that  intemperance  could  account  for  the 
things  which  they  had  seen  and  heard,  since,  as  they  knew, 
it  was  only  nine  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  and  it  was  the  cus- 
tom of  their  countrymen  neither  to  eat  nor  drink  before  the 
hour  of  morning  sacrifice.  And,  having  thus  disposed  of  the 
sneer  of  the  mockers,  he  went  on  to  answer  the  inquiries 
of  the  serious  and  well-disposed. 

He  alleged  that  all  that  they  had  witnessed  was  the  be- 
ginning of  the  fulfillment  of  a  prediction  made  by  Joel, 
which  they  had  often  heard  in  their  synagogues,  and  with 
which,  therefore,  they  were  perfectly  familiar.     He  did  not 
say,  indeed,  that  Joel's  words  were  so  completely  fulfilled  by 
the  events  of  Pentecost  that  we  may  not  look  for  any  fur- 
ther verification  of  them.     All  he  affirmed  was,  that  this  was 
an  installment  of  that  promise  which  God,  by  the  mouth  of 
Joel,  had  made,  and  that  it  was  the  result  of  the  pouring-out  / 
by  Jehovah  of  his  Holy  Spirit  upon  them.     Then  he  pro-  ( 
ceeded  to  connect  the  bestowment  of  that  gift  at  that  par-  ' 
ticular  time  with  the  resurrection  and  ascension  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.     Sketching  the  character  and  career  of  his 
Master  with  a  bold  and  manly  eloquence,  he  reminded  his 
hearers  that  they  had  crucified  and  slain  him,  and  then  he 

8* 


178  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

startled  them  with  the  assertion  that  he  had  risen  from  the 
dead. 

Seeing  the  amazement  which  that  statement  produced,  he 
fortified  it  by  a  reference  to  a  prophecy  which  they  all  ad- 
mitted to  be  Messianic,  because,  though  it  came  from  the 
pen  of  David,  it  could  have  no  reference  to  David's  own  his- 
tory. The  passage  which  he  quoted  is  taken  from  the  six- 
teenth Psalm,  and  the  pith  of  it  is  in  these  words  :  "  Because 
thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soul  in  Hades,  neither  wilt  thou  suffer 
thine  Holy  One  to  see  corruption  ;"  and  it  is  interesting  to 
mark  how  Peter  expounded  it,  and  raised  a  doctrinal  infer- 
ence from  an  historical  fact.  He  said,  David  died  and  saw 
corruption,  for  his  sepulchre  is  with  us  unto  this  day ;  there- 
fore he  could  not  here  be  speaking  of  himself:  but,  being  a 
prophet,  and  foreseeing  that  Messiah  should  sit  upon  his 
throne,  he  spake  in  this  wise  of  his  death  and  resurrection. 
This  prediction,  therefore,  was  verified  in  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
for  we  are  witnesses  of  his  rising  from  the  dead  ;  and  be- 
cause he  has  now  ascended  into  heaven,  he  hath  shed  forth 
this  which  ye  do  see  and  hear. 

Nor,  he  continued,  let  it  seem  strange  to  you  that  I  speak 
of  his  ascension  ;  for  that,  too,  is  the  fulfillment  of  a  predic- 
tion in  another  Psalm,*  in  which  David  said,  "  The  Lord  said 
unto  my  Lord,  Sit  thou  on  my  right  hand."  The  Psalmist 
could  not  mean  himself  in  this  prophecy  any  more  than  in 
the  former,  for  he  is  not  ascended  into  the  heavens.  It  re- 
mains, therefore,  that  he  was  referring  to  the  Messiah ;  and 
so,  as  Jesus  of  Nazareth  has  been  raised  from  the  grave,  and 
has  been  exalted  by  the  right  hand  of  God,  it  follows  that  he 
whom  ye  crucified  is  both  Lord  and  Christ. 

The  effect  of  all  this  was  overwhelming.  They  discov- 
ered that  he  whom  they  had  so  cruelly  put  to  death  was 

*  Psa.  ex.,  I. 


Pentecost.  179 

alive  again,  and  that  he,  was,  in  very  deed,  the  deliverer  to- 
ward whom  their  eyes  by  all  the  prophets  had  been  turned. 
Therefore  they  were  cut  to  the  heart,  and  cried,  saying,  "Men 
and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do.?"  and  in  response,  Peter 
preached  to  them  the  Gospel,  bidding  them  repent  and  be 
converted,  and  exhorting  them  to  make  themselves  publicly 
the  disciples  of  Christ  by  receiving  baptism  in  his  name. 
He  had  wounded  only  that  he  might  heal ;  for  he  proclaim- 
ed that  the  promise  was  unto  them,  and  to  their  children, 
and  to  all  that  were  afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord  their 
God  should  call ;  and  the  result  was  that  three  thousand 
were  added  that  day  to  the  Church.  Nor  was  it  a  mere 
ephemeral  epidemic.  The  converts  continued  steadfast,  and 
proved,  by  their  love,  their  liberality,  their  fervor,  their  forti- 
tude, and  their  fidelity,  that  they  had  indeed  been  born  again. 
In  reviewing  this  discourse,  one  can  not  but  be  struck 
with  the  marvelous  progress  made  by  Peter  in  Christian 
knowledge  in  the  brief  space  of  fifty  days.  What  a  differ- 
ence between  his  utterances  now  and  those  which  he  made 
before  the  Master's  death  !  How  is  all  this  to  be  explained? 
Much  of  it  is  to  be  traced,  of  course,  to  the  influence  of  those 
instructions  in  the  things  pertaining  to  his  kingdom  which 
were  given  by  our  Lord  to  his  apostles  at  intervals  during 
the  forty  days  which  elapsed  between  his  resurrection  and 
ascension  into  heaven.  But  more  of  it  was  due  to  the  en- 
lightening agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  whom  he  had  just 
been  filled.  The  Lord  promised  that  the  Comforter  would 
bring  all  things  to  their  remembrance,  whatsoever  he  had 
said  unto  them  ;  that  he  should  teach  them  all  things ;  that 
he  should  guide  them  into  all  truth,  adding  to  all  the  rest 
these  precious  words,  "  He  shall  glorify  me  :  for  he  shall  re- 
ceive of  mine,  and  shall  show  it  unto  you."*     And  in  the 

*  John  xiv.,26;  XV.,  26  ;  xvi.,  13,  14. 


i8o  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

discourse  of  Peter  upon  this  occasion  we  have  a  beautiful 
instance  of  the  manner  in  which  that  blessed  agent  com- 
monly proceeds  in  the  enlightenment  of  men.  You  observe 
that,  under  his  inspiration,  Peter  is  led  to  the  Old  Testament 
Scriptures,  and  that  he  sees  in  the  sections  to  which  he  re- 
fers more  than  he  ever  saw  before.  These  passages,  so  far 
as  Peter  was  concerned,  had  been  always  there,  but  now  he 
understands  them  in  a  new  light ;  and  in  the  same  way  the 
Spirit  leads  him  to  a  correct  interpretation  of  the  facts  in 
the  Saviour's  history  which  had  occurred  before  his  own 
eyes. 

Now,  so  it  always  is.  The  Spirit  guides  into  the  truth, 
not  by  putting  new  things  into  the  Word,  but  by  bringing  out 
more  fully  those  which  are  already  there  ;  and  in  propor- 
tion as  we  grow  in  the  intelligent  apprehension  of  the  reve- 
lations thus  made  to  us,  we  shall  increase  in  Christian  cour- 
age and  steadfastness.  Thus,  while  the  effusion  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  sufficiently  explains  the  transformation  which  we  see 
in  Peter  here,  that  transformation  itself  requires  some  such 
supernatural  cause  to  account  for  it ;  and  so  the  history  is 
perfectly  consistent  and  entirely  credible  when  we  take  it 
as  a  whole ;  while,  if  we  follow  the  example  of  some  ration- 
alistic interpreters,  and  endeavor  to  abstract  from  it  every 
thing  that  is  miraculous,  it  will  entirely  vanish  under  our 
hands,  and  leave  the  early  existence  of  the  Church  an  un- 
solved and  insoluble  enigma. 

But  leaving  the  mere  interpretation  of  the  chapter,  let  us 
>  see  what  light  it  throws  on  that  subject,  which  is  occupying 
so  much  the  thoughts  and  prayers  of  God's  people  among  us 
at  this  hour.  We  have  here  the  history  of  the  first  Christian 
revival.  Let  us  trace  it  through,  and  mark  at  once  its  origin 
and  its  characteristics. 

In  the  first  place,  it  was  ushered  in  by  prayer.  There  is 
nothing  said,  indeed,  in  the  opening  verses  of  this  chapter 


Pentecost.  i8i 

of  united  supplication.  But  in  the  preceding  context  we 
read,  that  after  the  ascension  the  disciples,  to  the  number 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty,  met  in  the  upper  room,  and  con- 
tinued in  prayer  and  supplication ;  and  it  is  reasonable  to 
suppose  that  when  they  came  together  on  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost, they  had  the  same  exercise  in  view.  Now,  what  did 
they  pray  for?  We  are  not  told  in  so  many  words,  but,  as 
the  latest  injunction  given  them  by  Jesus  had  reference  to 
the  promise  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  we  conclude  that  they  prayed 
for  him.  It  might  seem,  indeed,  that  just  because  he  had 
been  promised,  they  did  not  need  to  pray  for  him.  But 
they  did  not  reason  after  that  fashion.  When  a  father  prom- 
ises a  gift  to  his  child,  he  gets  many  a  reminder,  and  night 
after  night  as  he  returns  from  business  he  is  met  with  the 
eager  inquiry,  "Papa,  have  you  brought  it  yet?"  So,  like 
true  children  of  God,  these  first  disciples  waited  and  prayed, 
asking  evermore,  that  they  might  receive  the  Holy  Ghost 
according  to  his  word.  And  herein  they  rebuke  us  dread- 
fully, for  in  our  petitions  do  we  not  far  too  largely  neglect 
the  Holy  Ghost?  We  do  not  deny  his  personality  or  re- 
pudiate his  agency,  but  we  ignore  him,  and  we  pray  that 
men  may  be  converted,  and  that  Christians  may  be  edi- 
fied, forgetting  to  go  behind  these  effects  to  him  through 
whom  alone  they  can  be  produced.  Let  us  honor  the  Holy 
Spirit  more,  and  then  we  may  expect  a  fresh  baptism  from 
above. 

But  we  see  here,  again,  that  the  revival  began  in  the 
Church  in  the  quickening  and  enlightening  of  those  who 
were  already  disciples.  The  one  hundred  and  twenty  were 
first  blessed,  and  through  them  the  thousands  were  convert- 
ed. Now,  this  is  to  be  the  course  yet.  When  we  cry  for 
revival,  we  think  too  largely  of  other  people.  We  dwell  in 
imagination  upon  the  unconverted,  and  supplicate  that  they 
may  be  brought  in  crowds  to  Jesus ;  but  we  forget  that  they 


i82  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

are  to  be  brought  through  our  being  first  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost  ourselves.  The  purging  of  the  Church  with  searching 
fire  is  to  be  the  precursor  of  any  great  revival  in  the  world. 
In  the  case  before  us,  the  attention  of  outsiders  was  attract- 
ed by  the  fact  that  the  disciples  spake  with  foreign  tongues, 
and  so  made  themselves  intelligible  in  many  languages  ;  but 
to-day  there  is  one  way  of  testifying  to  Christ  which  is  inde- 
pendent of  all  languages,  and  is  the  same  in  all  lands  :  that 
is,  by  character  and  life ;  and  when  the  eyes  of  men  every- 
where are  turned  with  admiration  upon  Christians  for  the 
holiness  of  their  conduct,  the  love  of  their  fellowship,  and 
the  liberality  of  their  benevolence  then  will  be  a  glorious 
opportunity  for  some  new  Peter  to  stand  forth,  and,  tracing 
all  these  effects  to  Christ  as  their  cause,  preach  the  truth  in 
him  with  such  power  that  multitudes  shall  be  born  in  a  day. 
To  have  the  world  converted,  we  must  have  the  Church  puri- 
fied and  ennobled,  through  the  enjoyment  of  a  rich  effusion 
of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Further,  the  revival  here  was  characterized  by  the  preach- 
ing of  the  truth.  Peter  stood  forth  and  testified  for  Christ. 
In  all  probability  he  said  a  great  deal  more  than  has  been 
preserved  here ;  but  even  in  this  outline  we  have  much 
y^  to  arrest  our  attention.  His  discourse  was  Biblical.  He 
brought  the  Bible  to  the  front,  and  by  its  simple  exposition 
he  proved  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  indeed  the  Messiah. 
Nowadays  we  have  a  great  deal  said  in  the  pulpit  that 
might  be  just  as  appropriate  in  the  hall  of  the  lyceum,  or  in 
the  class-room  of  the  professor  of  philosophy.  But  Peter  be- 
gan and  ended  with  the  Word  of  God  ;  and  when  our  minis- 
ters will  give  over  apologizing  for  the  Bible,  or  criticising  it, 
and  will  let  it  simply  speak  for  itself,  then  we,  too,  may  look 
for  a  new  day  of  Pentecost.  What  mean  the  crowds  that 
everywhere  throng  to  hear  those  evangelists  whom  God  has 
so  signally  honored?     They  are  the  proof,  if  men  only  care 


Pentecost.  183 

to  be  convinced,  that  no  book  is  so  interesting  to  the  com- 
mon people  as  the  Word  of  God,  and  that  no  magnet  is  so 
potent  in  its  attraction  as  the  cross.  Let  us  put  God's  word 
foremost,  and  revival  will  not  be  long  in  coming. 

Again,  Peter's  sermon  was  experimental.  It  was  a  testi- 
mony. He  could  and  did  say  "  whereof  we  are  witnesses," 
and  so  his  words  had  in  them  that  attribute  of  eloquence 
which  the  French  preacher  has  called  so  happily  "  the  ac- 
cent of  conviction."  Men  saw  and  felt  that  he  himself  be- 
lieved what  he  was  saying,  and  therefore  they  were  inclined 
to  believe  it  themselves.  In  proportion  as  the  minister 
of  the  Gospel  merges  himself  into  a  witness,  he  will  suc- 
ceed in  turning  men  to  Christ.  True,  that  will  not  afford 
much  room  for  the  display  of  self,  but  it  will  give  ample  op- 
portunity for  displaying  Christ;  and  he  has  said,  "I,  if  I  be 
lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me." 

But  still  more,  this  sermon  of  Peter's  was  pointed  and 
courageous.  He  did  not  flinch  from  giving  his  view  of 
the  career  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth ;  neither  did  he  go  about 
to  find  soft  words  for  the  sin  which  he  charged  home  to 
the  consciences  of  his  hearers,  but  he  said  right  out,  "  Him 
ye  have  taken,  and  by  wicked  hands  have  crucified  and 
slain;"  "that  same  Jesus  whom  ye  crucified  is  both  Lord 
and  Christ."  Can  this  be,  indeed,  the  voice  of  Peter } 
Did  he  not  quail  before  the  maid-servant,  and  say,  "I  never 
knew  the  man ;"  and  now  does  he  speak  after  such  an  un- 
compromising fashion  ?  What  has  come  over  him  ?  The 
explanation  is  easy.  On  the  former  occasion  he  was  full 
of  self;  now  he  is  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  So  he  calls 
things  by  their  right  names,  and  strikes  both  home  and 
hard.  Let  our  preachers  speak  thus  to  men's  consciences, 
and  they,  too,  shall  have  many  inquirers  crying,  "What 
shall  we  do  ?" 

For,  to  mention  only  one  thing  more,  this  revival  was 


184  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

characterized  by  many  conversions.  First,  there  came  con- 
viction of  sin  ;  then,  inquiry ;  then,  after  Peter  had  given 
them  direction,  there  came  faith,  repentance,  and  confession 
of  Christ  before  men,  and  all  these  so  rapidly  that  three 
thousand  were  converted  ere  the  evening  closed  around 
them.  Nor  was  this  a  mere  temporary  thing.  They  who 
thus  gave  themselves  to  Christ  continued  steadfast,  and 
adorned  their  profession  by  a  walk  and  conversation  becom- 
ing the  Gospel.  "  Will  it  last  ?  Will  it  last  ?"  That  is  the  in- 
quiry made  by  antagonists  when  they  hear  of  a  great  reviv- 
al and  many  conversions.  Let  them  read  the  closing  verses 
of  this  chapter,  and  they  will  see  that  wherever  the  Spirit  is 
really  operating,  his  work  is  permanent.  The  suddenness 
of  a  conversion  is  no  discredit  to  it,  else  we  should  have  to 
suspect  such  cases  as  that  of  the  Apostle  Paul,  and  Colonel 
Gardiner,  and  ten  thousand  others.  But  the  way  to  send 
back  those  who  profess  to  have  been  thus  suddenly  trans- 
lated from  darkness  into  light,  is  for  other  Christians  to  treat 
them  to  cold  shoulder,  and  put  them  into  quarantine,  until 
it  is  seen  whether  or  not  they  shall  endure.  Was  that  the 
manner  in  which  Christ  met  us  ?  It  were  better  for  us  far 
to  make  a  few  mistakes  in  receiving  such  as  are  not  quite 
genuine,  than  to  injure  some  timid,  seeking  soul,  and  mar 
his  usefulness  for  life.  Therefore  let  us  not  look  coldly 
and  indifferently  on  when  God  is  working  in  the  midst  of 
us;  but  let  us  rejoice  that  Christ  is  preached,  and  let  us 
open  our  hearts  to  all  who  profess  to  be  his  disciples. 


XIII. 

THE  LAME  MAN  HEALED. 

Acts  iii. 

WHEN  the  bud  begins  to  burst,  and  to  expand  into 
the  flower,  it  does  not  all  at  once  slough  off  the  ex- 
ternal casing  by  which  it  had  been  bound.  Gradually,  as 
the  leaves  and  petals  unfold  themselves,  they  bend  back 
their  former  covering  until  at  length  it  seems  a  mere  excres- 
cence, and  of  itself  drops  off  like  a  withered  thing. 

Now,  as  the  Christian  Church  was  a  development  out  of 
the  Jewish,  we  find  a  similar  process  in  its  early  history.  It 
did  not  assume  all  at  once  a  separate  and  independent  ex- 
istence. Its  first  members  had  their  own  meetings,  indeed, 
in  each  other's  houses  and  in  upper  rooms ;  but  with  these 
they  combined  a  regular  attendance  upon  the  Temple  serv- 
ices. They  differed  from  other  Jews  in  the  fact  that  they 
believed  in  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  and  were 
knit  to  each  other  in  the  bonds  of  a  brotherhood  which  had 
its  origin  in  a  common  experience  of  the  great  salvation ; 
but  they  kept  up  also  a  strict  observance  of  the  Mosaic  law. 
Very  probably  they  had  at  this  time  no  clear  idea  of  the 
shape  which  their  movement  was  finally  to  take;  and  per- 
haps the  thought  of  separation  from  the  Jewish  Church  had 
never  entered  into  their  minds.  God  was  leading  them  by 
a  way  which  they  knew  not ;  and,  as  we  follow  the  steps  of 
the  apostle  of  the  circumcision,  we  shall  find  that  even  he 
was  prepared,  little  by  little,  for  the  acceptance  of  the  truth 


1 86  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

that  Christ  by  his  work  had  abrogated  the  entire  ritual  of 
their  nation,  and  introduced  a  system  of  worship  which,  be- 
cause it  was  spiritual,  was  to  be  universal. 

Luther  was  at  work  as  a  spiritual  reformer  long  before  he 
felt  himself  impelled  to  come  out  of  the  Church  of  Rome ; 
and  though  the  organization  which  Wesley  formed  tended 
inevitably  to  separation  from  the  Church  of  England,  that 
venerable  evangelist,  to  the  very  end  of  his  days,  repudiated 
the  very  idea  of  leaving  that  communion.  AVith  such  exam- 
ples before  us,  therefore,  we  can  not  be  surprised  that  the 
first  Christians  continued  to  frequent  the  Temple  of  Jerusa- 
lem at  the  hour  of  prayer. 

Prominent  among  them  on  all  such  occasions  were  Peter 
and  John.  Since  the  day  on  which  Jesus  had  sent  them  to 
engage  the  upper  room  for  the  celebration  of  his  last  pass- 
over  with  his  disciples,  these  two  apostles  seem  to  have  been 
almost  inseparable  companions.  They  had  been  together 
in  the  high-priest's  house ;  they  had  vied  with  each  other 
who  should  be  the  first  to  reach  the  sepulchre;  they  had 
been  close  beside  each  other  in  the  boat  on  the  lake  when 
the  Lord  beckoned  to  them  from  the  shore  ;  and  it  was 
Peter's  eager  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  friend  that  drew 
upon  him  the  reproof,  "  What  is  that  to  thee  ?  follow  thou 
me." 

Brought  up  at  first  in  the  same  town,  and  following  there 
for  years  the  same  occupation  as  partners,  they  were  already 
fast  and  familiar  friends  before  Jesus  called  them ;  but  now 
their  relation  to  each  other  had  been  elevated,  refined,  and 
strengthened  by  their  constant  intercourse  with  each  other 
as  fellow-disciples ;  and  in  the  white-heat  of  the  fiery  trials 
of  the  crucifixion  time  their  hearts  had  been  fused  together, 
so  that  they  were  of  one  mind  and  soul. 

Theirs  was  emphatically  a  holy  friendship,  and  it  would 
be  well  if  in  our  choice  of  companions  we  could  secure  such 


The  Lame  Man  Healed.  187 

reciprocity  and  counterbalance  as  Peter  had  in  John,  and 
John  in  Peter.  They  were  in  many  things  most  unlike  each 
other,  but  that  made  them  only  the  more  valuable  to  each 
other  j  since  the  defects  of  the  one  were  supplemented  by 
the  excellencies  of  the  other.  The  impulsiveness  of  Peter 
was  checked  by  the  caution  of  John  ;  while  occasionally,  as 
at  the  sepulchre,  the  hesitation  of  John  was  put  to  flight  be- 
fore the  bold  decisiveness  of  Peter.  They  were  to  each  oth- 
er very  much  what  Luther  and  Melanchthon  were  in  a  later 
age.  John  had  the  eagle  eye ;  Peter  had  the  ardent  soul. 
John  could  thunder,  too,  on  occasion,  for  the  Lord  called 
him  and  James,  Boanerges ;  but  his  general  demeanor  was 
calm  and  still.  Peter  was  active,  impetuous,  and  frequently 
abrupt.  John's  character  was  the  deeper  and  the  more  in- 
tense j  Peter's  the  more  energetic  and  demonstrative.  John 
resembled  a  clear  deep  river,  giving  you  the  idea  of  peace, 
as  it  mirrors  on  its  bosom  the  calm  repose  of  the  unclouded 
sky.  Peter  resembled  a  river  churning  on  in  full  flood, 
broken  now  and  then  by  a  rocky  fall,  but  giving  you  withal 
the  idea  of  tremendous  power  as  it  sweeps  every  obstacle 
before  it.  John  was  intuitional  and  meditative  ;  Peter  was 
observational  and  practical.  John  was  the  Mary  among  the 
apostles ;  Peter  was  the  Martha.  They  were  both  noble 
men.  Their  union  would  have  made  an  almost  faultless 
character;  and  next  to  that,  for  influence  on  the  world 
around  them,  was  their  intimate  and  endearing  friendship. 

As  these  two  companions  were  entering  the  Temple  one 
afternoon  by  the  gate  called  Beautiful,  they  were  accosted 
by  a  beggar  who  was  privileged  to  have  a  seat  there  because 
he  had  been  lame  from  his  birth.  Indeed,  it  would  almost 
seem,  from  the  force  of  the  original  word,  that  his  friends 
were  in  the  act  of  carrying  him  to  his  accustomed  place  at 
the  very  moment  when  the  apostles  were  passing,  and  that 
he  had  only  time  to  make  application  to  them  for  help  be- 


1 88  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

fore  they  should  enter  the  sacred  precinct.  In  response  to 
his  entreaty,  Peter  said,  "  Look  on  us ;"  and  he  immediate- 
ly raised  to  them  an  expectant  eye,  supposing  that  he  was 
about  to  receive,  as  indeed  he  was,  some  very  unusual  and 
precious  gift.  But  how  must  his  hopes  for  a  moment  have 
sunk  within  him  when  he  heard  the  words,  "  Silver  and  gold 
have  I  none !"  I  could  almost  fancy  how  at  first  he  might 
be  tempted  to  say,  "That's  a  poor  joke.  You  might  surely 
find  something  better  to  do  than  to  make  fun  of  an  impo- 
tent man  like  me."  But  when  he  heard  the  rest  of  the  sen- 
tence, "  In  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  rise  up  and  walk," 
and  when  he  saw  the  apostle  advance  to  take  him  by  the 
hand,  his  heart  thrilled  with  a  peculiar  anticipation.  He 
said  within  himself.  This  can  not  be  a  mockery,  and,  grasp- 
ing the  hand  of  Peter,  he  swung  himself  to  his  feet,  and  felt 
a  strange,  tingling  life  run  prickling  along  his  nerves  as  his 
limbs  grew  firm  beneath  him.  Then,  half  walking  and  half 
leaping,  like  one  yet  unaccustomed  to  the  exercise  of  loco- 
motion, he  went  into  the  Temple  to  praise  the  Lord  for  his 
goodness. 

Now,  as  it  is  said  by  objectors,  with  truth,  that  no  miracles 
can  be  so  easily  counterfeited  as  cures,  it  may  be  well  to  set 
clearly  before  you  the  circumstances  of  this  case,  that  you 
may  be  able  to  answer  every  gainsayer  regarding  it.  The 
man  on  whom  it  was  wrought  was  well  known.  He  was 
over  forty  years  of  age,  and  for  a  long  time,  as  seems  to  be 
implied  in  the  words  of  the  historian,  he  was  regularly  to  be 
seen  at  the  Temple  gate.  His  disease  was  not  a  slight  ail- 
ment of  recent  origin,  but  was  brought  with  him  into  the 
world.  His  cure  was  performed  not  in  secret,  and  before 
a  chosen  conclave  of  spectators,  but  in  open  day,  and  in  a 
place  as  much  frequented  at  the  hour  of  evening  prayer  as 
Broadway  is  in  the  height  of  business.  The  case  was  in- 
quired into  at  the  time  by  those  who  were  openly  opposed 


The  Lame  Man  Healed.  189 

to  the  cause  with  which  the  apostles  w^ere  identified  ;  yet 
even  they  were  compelled  to  admit  the  genuineness  of  the 
work  of  healing,  and  had  no  argument  wherewith  to  oppose 
the  disciples,  but  that  of  the  prison.  Now,  if  an  event  so 
authenticated  is  to  be  accounted  false,  how  shall  we  be  cer- 
tain of  any  thing  which  history  has  recorded  ? 

But  this  was  a  miracle ;  and  men  are  suspicious  of  that 
word.  Some,  in  the  ranks  of  philosophy,  maintain  that  such 
a  work  is  impossible,  because  it  is  inconsistent  with  the  uni- 
formity of  nature,  which  the  achievements  of  science  have 
so  amply  demonstrated  \  and  others,  in  the  ranks  of  theolo- 
gy, have  cast  off  the  miracles  as  evidences  of  the  Gospel  al- 
together, believing  them  to  be  only  hinderances  to  faith,  and 
imagining  that  the  Gospel  can  stand  without  their  support. 
Let  me,  therefore,  pause  here  for  a  few  moments,  and  see 
whether  I  may  not  wipe  away  this  double  reproach  from  the 
miracles  of  the  New  Testament. 

By  a  miracle,  then^  I  understand  a  work  out  of  the  usual 
sequence  of  secondary  causes  and  effects,  and  produced  by 
the  direct  agency  of  God.  It  is  of  its  very  essence  that  it 
shall  be  a  particular  departure  from  that  uniformity  which  is 
the  general  characteristic  of  what  we  call  nature.  But  it  is 
not,  except  in  a  very  limited  sense,  a  suspension  of  a  law  of 
nature  ;  and  it  is  unfortunate  that  such  an  expression  should 
ever  have  been  employed  in  its  definition.  AVhen  I  lift  any 
thing,  say,  for  example,  this  book,  I  do  for  the  time  being, 
and  in  the  case  of  the  book,  suspend  the  law  of  gravitation  ; 
but  I  do  so  only  by  the  introduction  of  a  higher  cause,  name- 
ly, my  will,  acting  through  my  muscular  nature,  and  even 
while  I  do  so  the  law  of  gravitation  remains  the  principle 
on  which  the  material  universe  is  conducted. 

A  suspension  of  any  law,  throughout  the  universe,  even 
for  the  briefest  time,  would  issue  in  the  most  disasta>us  re- 
sults ;   but  a  miracle  is  not  such  a  suspension.      It  is  the 


190  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

production  of  a  new  effect  by  the  intervention  of  a  new  and 
sufficient  cause,  which  is  the  agency  of  God  ;  and  which 
brings  about  not  the  suspensio"^n  of  any  law,  but  only  a 
deviation,  in  a  single  instance,  from  the  ordinary  course  of 
things.  There  need,  therefore,  be  no  jealousy  on  the  part 
of  scientific  men  against  a  miracle,  for  it  would  be  impossi- 
ble to  recognize  a  miracle  at  all,  if  there  were  not  in  nature 
that  very  uniformity  for  which  they  contend.  There  could 
be  no  exceptional  deviations,  if  there  were  no  uniformity ; 
and  so,  it  is  as  essential  to  the  advocates  of  the  supernatu- 
ral as  it  is  to  the  disciples  of  science  to  contend  for  the  reg- 
ularity and  constancy  of  the  operations  of  nature. 

Then,  as  to  the  possibility  of  a  miracle  :  if  we  accept  the 
personal  existence  of  God,  there  can  be  no  difficulty  felt 
upon  that  point ;  for  if  we  admit  that  the  operations  of  nat- 
ure are  carried  on  by  a  person  in  a  certain  uniform  way,  we 
can  not  hesitate  to  admit,  also,  that  he  may,  if  he  so  choose, 
deviate  from  that  uniformity  in  a  certain  instance,  for  any 
purpose  which  he  accounts  sufficient.  Thus  the  real  mat- 
ter at  issue  is  not  the  possibility  of  miracle,  or  the  truth  of 
Christianity — it  is  the  existence  and  personality  of  God.  The 
question  raised  is  that  between  atheism  and  faith  in  God, 
and  that  must  be  settled  on  other  grounds  than  those  of  rev- 
elation ;  for  the  one  grand  postulate  of  the  Bible  is  God.  If 
one  accepts  that,  he  will  not  stumble  at  miracles.  If  one 
does  not  admit  that,  we  must  begin  to  reason  with  him  a  long 
way  farther  back  than  miracles. 

But  some  theologians,  following  the  leadership  of  Cole- 
ridge, say,  "  The  Gospel  can  stand  without  the  miracles ; 
therefore  let  them  go;  we  have  evidences  enough  without 
them." 

Now,  to  this  I  reply,  that  the  Gospel  can  not  stand  without 
the  miracles  ;  for,  be  they  true  or  false,  the  narratives  of  these 
supernatural  works  are  so  inwrought  into  the  whole  fabric  of 


The  Lame  Man  Healed.  191 

the  record  that  you  can  not  cut  them  out  without  destroying 
it.  Nay,  more,  the  moral  character  of  the  Saviour  must  be 
sullied  if  we  repudiate  his  miracles,  for  he  laid  claim  to  the 
possession  of  supernatural  power.  Nor  is  this  all.  Every 
reader  of  the  fifteenth  chapter  of  Paul's  first  letter  to  the 
Corinthians  must  see  how  much  depends  on  the  fact  that  Je- 
sus Christ  rose  again  from  the  dead  ;  but  that  resurrection 
was  a  miracle.  So,  too,  every  student  of  John's  Gospel  must 
observe  the  importance  with  which  that  evangelist  has  in- 
vested the  fact  that  the  Word,  who  was  God,  became  flesh, 
and  dwelt  among  us ;  but  the  incarnation  was  a  miracle. 
Now,  if  you  give  up  the  fact  of  the  incarnation,  and  allege 
that  Christ  never  rose  from  the  grave,  how  much  of  the  Gos- 
pel will  remain  ?  You  see,  therefore,  how  absurd  it  is  to  say 
that  the  Gospel  can  stand  without  the  miracles.  They  who 
speak  after  that  fashion  are  talking  either  thoughtlessly  or 
treasonably,  for  we  can  not  surrender  the  miracles  without 
giving  up  every  thing  which  we  have  heretofore  associated 
with  Christ,  and  repudiating  the  Bible  itself  as  a  revelation 
from  God. 

"But,"  some  one  says,  "allowing  all  that  to  be  true,  you 
need  not  insist  so  strongly  on  the  miracles  as  evidences: 
surely  the  internal  are  better  than  the  external.  Let  the 
Gospel  be  its  own  witness.  If  its  doctrines  be  true,  they 
will  attest  themselves.     Nothing  can  be  truer  than  truth." 

Now,  to  this  I  reply  that  though  it  be  the  case  that  one 
truth  can  not  make  another  true,  yet  some  things  may  be 
more  apparent  than  others,  and  one  fact  may  help  to  make 
another  clearer.  What  is  the  use  of  evidence  else  ?  Take, 
for  example,  the  case  of  a  prisoner  in  a  court  of  law.  Either 
he  is  innocent  or  guilty  from  the  first.  Yet  evidence  is  had, 
but  that  evidence  does  not  make  him  either  the  one  or  the 
other;  it  only  makes  manifest  which  he  is.  So,  again,  in 
mathematics  ;  every  proposition  in  Euclid  is  true,  altogeth- 


192  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

er  independently  of  its  demonstration.  The  demonstration 
only  makes  the  truth  apparent.  Similarly  the  Gospel  is  true 
and  of  Divine  authority  altogether  independently  of  the  mir- 
acles wrought  by  Christ  and  his  apostles  ;  yet  these  miracles 
being  performed  in  the  plane  of  ordinary  life,  and  in  a  de- 
partment with  which  men  are  familiar,  make  evident  the 
truth  of  those  statements  which  the  Gospel  contains  regard- 
ing things  which  belong  to  a  region  beyond  the  sphere  of 
our  observation  or  the  possibility  of  our  investigation.  When 
Jesus  said  to  the  paralytic,"*  "  Son,  thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee," 
he  made  an  assertion  the  verification  of  which  was  impossible 
by  his  hearers,  for  it  referred  to  a  region  beyond  their  reach. 
So  they  said, "  Why  doth  this  man  thus  speak  blasphemies  ? 
Who  can  forgive  sins  but  God  only."  As  if  they  had  replied, 
"  It  is  a  safe  thing  to  make  a  claim  like  that,  because  you 
know  we  can  not  investigate  its  truth."  But  the  Lord,  know- 
ing how  they  felt,  makes  a  reply  which,  as  Trench  has  par- 
aphrased it,  amounts  to  this:  "You  accuse  me  that  I  am 
claiming  a  safe  power,  since  in  the  very  nature  of  the  benefit 
bestowed  no  sign  follows,  nothing  to  testify  whether  I  have 
challenged  it  rightfully  or  not.  I  will  therefore  put  myself 
now  to  a  more  decisive  proof.  I  will  speak  a  word.  I  will 
claim  a  power  which,  if  I  claim  falsely,  I  shall  be  convinced 
upon  the  instant  to  be  an  impostor  and  deceiver.  I  will  say 
to  this  sick  man, '  Rise  up  and  walk.'  By  the  efiects  as  they 
follow,  or  do  not  follow,  you  may  judge  whether  I  have  a 
right  to  say  to  him, '  Thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee.'  By  doing 
that  which  is  submitted  to  the  eyes  of  men,  I  will  attest  my 
right  and  power  to  do  that  which  in  its  very  nature  lies  out 
of  the  region  of  proof,  "f 

Now,  what  that  one  miracle  of  the  healing  of  the  paralytic 
was  to  the  one  claim  of  Christ,  in  connection  with  which  it 

*  Mark  ii.,  5-1 1.  f  "  Notes  on  the  Miracles,"  pp.  205,  206. 


The  Lame  Man  Healed.  193 

was  wrought,  that  the  miracles  of  the  New  Testament,  as  a 
whole,  are  to  the  Gospel,  as  a  whole.  The  doctrines  of  the 
Gospel  refer  to  supernatural  things  in  that  spiritual  depart- 
ment which  is  beyond  the  limit  of  our  observation  ;  the  mir- 
acles are  supernatural  facts  in  the  province  of  nature  and  of 
daily  life,  which  is  open  to  our  investigation,  and  so  the  per- 
formance of  them  by  him  who  utters  the  doctrines  is  a  con- 
firmation or  attestation  of  their  truth.  Both  are  true.  The 
doctrines  are  true  altogether  independently  of  the  miracles  ; 
and  the  miracles  are  true  altogether  independently  of  the 
doctrines ;  but  the  truth  of  the  miracles  makes  that  of  the 
doctrines  more  evident,  and  for  that  reason  miracles  were 
employed  at  the  inauguration  of  the  Gospel. 

In  the  Palazzo  Rospigliosi,  at  Rome,  Guido's  famous 
painting  of  Aurora  is  on  the  ceiling,  and  the  visitor  can  not 
therefore  examine  it  without  much  discomfort  and  great  dis- 
advantage ;  so  a  mirror  has  been  placed  in  the  room  at  such 
an  angle  as  to  catch  the  reflection  of  the  picture  and  present 
it  to  the  spectator  at  a  point  where  he  can  conveniently  in- 
spect it.  So  the  spiritual  declarations  of  the  Gospel  are  far 
above  us,  and  we  can  not  verify  them ;  but  in  the  miracles 
they  are  reflected  in  material  facts  as  in  a  mirror,  and  these 
we  can  investigate.  Thus  the  supernatural  in  the  one  at- 
tests the  supernatural  in  the  other. 

I  have  dwelt  thus  at  length  on  this  subject  because  the 
miracle  of  Peter  has  afforded  me  a  convenient  opportunity 
for  meeting  the  plausible  objections  of  modern  philosophers, 
and  for  exposing  the  hollowness  and  absurdity  of  the  reason- 
ings of  many  theologians  on  a  question  which  seems  to  me 
to  be  of  vital  importance.  But  we  must  pass  on  now  to  con- 
sider briefly  the  address  delivered  by  the  apostle  in  connec- 
tion with  this  miracle. 

The  report  of  the  cure  of  the  lame  man  spread  with  mar- 
velous rapidity  among  the  worshipers  in  the  Temple,  and 

9 


194  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

when  they  saw  the  grateful  beggar,  clinging  in  his  gladness 
to  Peter  and  John,  they  crowded  round  them  and  followed 
them  to  Solomon's  Porch.  This  was  one  of  a  series  of  pi- 
azzas which  were  built  on  the  inside  of  the  outer  walls  of 
the  Temple.  On  the  eastern,  northern,  and  western  sides, 
there  were  two  rows  of  these  porches,  and  on  the  southern, 
three.  They  were  about  twenty  feet  in  width,  and  paved 
with  marble  of  different  colors  ;  they  had  flat  roofs  of  costly 
cedar  wood,  supported  by  marble  pillars ;  and  they  afforded 
a  grateful  shade  to  the  people.  The  porch  on  the  eastern 
side  was  distinguished  for  its  beauty,  and,  standing  as  it  did 
on  the  vast  wall  which  Solomon  had  raised  from  the  valley 
beneath,  and  which  was  the  only  thing  of  his  work  that  re- 
mained in  the  second  Temple,  it  was  called  after  his  name. 

When  Peter  saw  the  throng,  and  marked  the  expression 
of  amazement  mingled  with  inquiry  which  was  upon  the 
countenances  of  the  people,  he  spoke  to  them  as  he  had 
done  to  the  multitudes  on  Pentecost.  His  address  on  this 
occasion  was  characterized  by  the  same  qualities  as  his  for- 
mer discourse,  and  whether  we  consider  its  honesty,  boldness, 
and  simplicity,  or  its  full  presentation  of  the  way  of  life,  and 
its  comprehensive  brevity,  we  must  place  it  on  a  level  with 
the  utterances  of  Paul,  and  second  only  to  the  loftier  and 
more  suggestive  sayings  of  the  Lord  himself. 

He  begins  by  alleging  that  there  was  in  reality  no  ground 
for  the  astonishment  which  they  felt.  It  would  have  been, 
indeed,  a  wonderful  thing  if  John  and  himself  had  cured  the 
lame  man  by  their  own  skill,  or  as  a  reward  for  their  own 
piety.  But  as  it  was,  there  was  nothing  to  marvel  at,  for  the 
miracle  had  been  wrought  by  Jesus  Christ,  whom  God  had 
raised  up  and  glorified  after  he  had  been  denied  and  deliv- 
ered up  to  Pilate,  and  killed  by  them.  He  was  indeed  the 
Holy  One  and  the  Just,  the  Prince  of  Life,  the  servant  of 
Jehovah,  and  yet  the  Son  of  God ;  and  so  it  was  only  natural, 


The  Lame  Man  Healed.  195 

and  what  in  the  circumstances  was  to  be  expected,  that  the 
faith  which  was  by  him  should  give  this  perfect  soundness 
to  the  lame  man.  No  doubt  that  made  their  position  very 
serious  indeed ;  for  this  miracle  demonstrated  that  he  whom 
they  had  put  to  death  was  now  alive,  and  at  the  right  hand 
of  God,  as  the  Prince  of  Life ;  yet,  though  they  and  their 
rulers  had  rejected  him,  they  need  not  despair,  as  though 
there  were  no  possibility  of  salvation  for  them.  God  had 
been,  through  these  things,  only  fulfilling  his  own  gracious 
purposes ;  and  if  they  changed  their  minds  regarding  the 
Messiah,  and  turned  from  their  opposition  to  him,  so  as  to 
become  his  servants,  their  sins  would  be  blotted  out,  and 
they  would  enjoy  times  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of 
the  Lord.  The  grandest  era  of  the  Jewish  nation  was  not 
in  the  past,  but  in  the  future,  and  it  was  contingent  on  their 
repentance  and  conversion ;  for  when  they  had  all  turned 
unto  the  Lord  he  would  send  Jesus  Christ  a  second  time  to 
them.  But  meanwhile,  until  the  fulfillment  of  all  the  proph- 
ecies which  God  had  spoken  by  his  servants  since  the  begin- 
ning, he  must  remain  in  heaven.  Still,  they  must  not  despise 
him  on  account  of  his  absence,  for  he  was  the  prophet  of 
whom  Moses  spake,  and  whom  he  described  as  like  unto 
himself,  saying  also,  "  It  shall  come  to  pass  that  every  soul 
which  will  not  hear  that  prophet  shall  be  destroyed  from 
among  the  people."  On  the  one  hand,  therefore,  they  had 
to  fear  the  most  dreadful  punishment  if  they  rejected  Jesus ; 
and,  on  the  other,  if  they  received  him  as  their  prophet,  they 
might  expect  the  fulfillment  of  the  promise  which  God  made 
to  Abraham  when  he  said,  "  In  thy  seed  shall  all  the  kindreds 
of  the  earth  be  blessed,"  for  unto  them  first,  God  having 
raised  up  his  Son  Jesus,  had  sent  him  to  bless  them  in  turn- 
ing away  every  one  of  them  from  his  iniquities. 

Every  separate  verse  of  this  address  might  furnish  matter 
for  a  sermon ;  but  I  content  myself  with  having  set  before 


196  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

you  thus  the  relation  of  its  several  parts  to  each  other,  and 
the  design  which  the  apostle  had  in  view.  But  he  was  not 
permitted  to  dwell  at  any  greater  length  upon  the  subjects 
on  which  he  touched,  for  the  Jewish  authorities,  unwilling 
that  the  people  should  be  taught  by  any  but  themselves,  laid 
hold  of  him  and  John,  and,  as  the  easiest  way  of  getting  rid 
of  them  for  the  moment,  put  them  in  prison  until  the  next 
day.  There,  therefore,  we  must  meantime  leave  them,  while 
we  gather  up  a  few  of  the  more  valuable  lessons  which  this 
chapter  of  early  Church  history  suggests. 

We  are  reminded,  in  the  first  place,  that  there  are  some 
things  more  valuable  than  money.  The  end  is  always  of 
more  importance  than  the  means  by  which  it  is  gained ;  and 
if  it  can  be  attained  without  the  use  of  these  means  at  all, 
then  they  become,  comparatively  speaking,  of  little  moment. 
Now,  the  value  of  money  is  not  intrinsic.  It  arises  simply 
from  the  fact  that  it  furnishes  a  ready  medium  of  exchange. 
Silver  and  gold  thus  are  worth  only  what  they  can  purchase  ; 
but  there  are  certain  things  which  they  can  not  buy,  and 
to  which,  therefore,  they  are,  and  always  must  be,  inferior. 
Health  is  a  boon  which  no  pecuniary  price  can  purchase. 
Happiness  is  a  commodity  which  can  not  be  bought  even 
with  the  wealth  of  a  millionaire.  Acceptance  with  God  is  a 
blessing  which  untold  gold  can  not  secure.  And,  as  we  see 
from  the  record  here,  Peter  with  his  gift  of  healing  was  of 
infinitely  greater  service  to  this  lame  man  than  if  he  had 
possessed  the  riches  of  Crcesus.  Let  the  wealthy  among  us, 
therefore,  see  that  they  keep  their  treasures  in  the  proper 
place.  The  moment  wealth  becomes  an  end  to  be  sought 
simply  for  its  own  sake,  it  ceases  to  be  a  blessing.  Its 
employment  in  that  wise  beneficence  which  helps  the  poor 
to  help  themselves  will  promote  the  happiness  of  all  who 
are  assisted  by  it,  and  their  enjoyment  will  come  back  to  the 
giver  of  it  with  a  richer  interest  than   the   usury  of  earth, 


The  Lame  Man  Healed.  197 

causing  him  to  say,  "  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  re- 
ceive." 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  let  not  those  of  us  who  are  poor 
in  this  world's  goods  imagine  that  we  are  thereby  quite  pre- 
vented from  doing  good  to  others.  Behold  what  a  blessing 
Peter,  though  he  had  neither  silver  nor  gold,  bestowed  on 
this  beggar !  There  are  other  ways  of  helping  our  fellow- 
men  than  by  giving  them  money ;  and,  God  be  praised  for 
it,  there  are  continually  occurring,  even  in  our  lanes  and  al- 
leys, our  cellars  and  our  attics,  cases  of  kindness  done  by 
the  poor  to  the  poor  that  show  like  redeeming  features  in 
our  fallen  nature,  and  sound  like  variations  in  that  "  still,  sad 
music  of  humanity  "  which  rings  so  ceaselessly  in  the  ear  of 
the  thoughtful  observer.  Ye  that  have  money,  therefore,  use  it 
for  God's  glory  in  the  world's  good  ;  and  ye  who  have  to  make 
the  confession  of  Peter,  and  say, "  Silver  and  gold  have  I  none," 
give  of  what  you  have  ;  so  shall  you  catch  the  spirit  of  these 
first  apostles,  and,  like  their  Master,  "go  about  doing  good." 

We  are  reminded,  secondly,  that  fidelity  is  the  true  kind- 
ness in  the  end.  Mark  how  pointedly  Peter  here  addresses 
the  multitude.  He  charges  home  upon  them,  in  unmistaka- 
ble terms,  the  crucifixion  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  says, 
"  Ye  delivered  him  up  ;"  "  Ye  denied  him  in  the  presence  of 
Pilate ;"  "  Ye  desired  a  murderer  to  be  granted  unto  you ;" 
"  Ye  killed  the  Prince  of  Life."  Yet  he  was  not  indiscrimi- 
nate in  his  censure,  for  he  says,  "  I  know  that  through  igno- 
rance ye  did  it." 

Now,  in  all  this  he  was  a  model  for  us.  Faithfulness  is  to 
be  tempered  with  justice  in  all  things,  but  especially  when 
we  are  dealing  with  the  unconverted.  We  must  speak  plain- 
ly, yet  we  must  speak  kindly,  and  let  those  with  whom  we  are 
conversing  feel  that,  while  we  can  not  but  condemn  their 
course,  we  thoroughly  understand  their  procedure,  and  have 
the  tenderest  compassion  for  themselves. 


198  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

It  is  delightful  to  see  how,  after  the  strong  things  which 
he  had  uttered  about  their  guilt,  Peter  comes  round  at  last 
to  tell  them  of  the  mercy  and  the  love  of  God,  and  to  invite 
even  the  murderers  of  the  Messiah  to  receive  a  blessing 
from  the  hands  of  him  whom  they  had  crucified ;  and  it 
would  be  well  if  all  who  feel  prompted  to  speak  to  men 
about  their  sins  would  study  well  the  method  which  the 
apostle  pursued.  Impertinence  is  not  faithfulness.  There 
is  a  right  as  well  as  a  wrong  way  of  approaching  every  man  ; 
and  if  we  wish  to  succeed  with  him,  we  must  study  him  until 
we  have  discovered  how  he  is  to  be  treated.  Many  earnest 
disciples,  with  the  best  possible  intentions,  have  disgusted 
those  to  whom  they  have  spoken,  and  sent  them  farther 
away  from  Christ  and  his  salvation  than  they  ever  were 
before.  Behold  how  it  was  here.  The  good  deed  done  to 
the  impotent  man  drew  the  people's  attention ;  then,  when 
they  were  impressed  by  that  manifestation  of  the  divine 
beneficence,  the  apostle  spoke  to  them  of  their  guilt ;  and 
after  he  had  impressed  that  deeply  upon  their  hearts,  he 
addressed  to  them  his  appeal  to  repentance,  and  declared 
that  God  was  waiting  to  be  gracious  unto  them. 

Now,  let  us  follow  a  similar  plan.  We  can  not  work  a 
miracle,  indeed,  but  we  can  do  a  kindness  that  shall  make 
as  wholesome  an  impression  as  this  work  of  healing  did ; 
and  then,  when  we  have  thus  secured  the  confidence  of  those 
whom  we  have  benefited,  the  way  is  open  for  our  speaking 
to  them  of  their  guilt.  By  pursuing  that  plan,  we  shall,  by 
the  help  of  God,  succeed  in  bringing  many  to  Jesus.  But 
let  us  not  make  up  to  one  who  is  a  perfect  stranger  to  us 
on  the  street,  and  say  to  him,  "  Do  you  know,  sir,  that  you 
are  going  to  hell  ?"  That  is  an  insult ;  and  it  will  be  well  if, 
when  we  are  guilty  of  such  folly,  we  meet  with  a  man  who  will 
say  to  us,  as  a  Christian  did  to  a  youth  who  had  so  addressed 
him,  "  My  young  friend,  you  mean  well,  and  if  I  did  not  know 


The  Lame  Man  Healed.  199 

that,  I  should  be  very  angry  at  you.  For  many  years  I  have 
been  trying  to  serve  the  Master  whom  you  love,  and  you  had 
no  right  to  speak  to  me  in  that  fashion.  You  will  do  more 
harm  than  good  if  you  prosecute  your  missionary  work  after 
the  fashion  of  a  highwayman,  and  call  upon  every  man  you 
meet  to  stand  and  deliver  up  his  soul,  under  your  threaten- 
ing of  hell.  He  that  winneth  souls  is  wise."  Be  faithful, 
then,  but  be  tenderly  faithful.  Do  not  perform  the  work  of 
the  shepherd  in  the  spirit  of  the  wolf. 

Finally,  let  us  remember  that  the  enjoyment  of  times  of  re- 
freshing from  God's  presence  is  inseparably  connected  with 
our  return  to  God.  The  literal  rendering  of  the  nineteenth 
verse  is  this  :  "  Repent  and  be  converted,  that  your  sins  may 
be  blotted  out,  in  order  that  times  of  refreshing  may  come 
from  the  presence  of  the  Lord."  And  I  can  not  but  think 
that  Peter  here,  addressing  Jews,  was  guided  to  the  use  of 
words  which,  while  they  are  true  in  the  experience  of  indi- 
vidual converts,  shall  have  their  highest  fulfillment  in  that 
day  when  "all  Israel  shall  be  saved."  The  grandest  era  of 
the  Jewish  nation  is  not  in  the  past,  but  in  the  future,  and 
the  coming  of  that  era  is  dependent  upon  their  repentance 
and  conversion. 

But  while  that  may  be  the  primary  reference  of  his  words, 
the  principle  underneath  them  is  susceptible  of  the  widest 
application.  If  a  soul  wants  refreshment,  let  it  turn  to  the 
Lord,  changing  its  mind  in  regard  to  Jesus  and  its  conduct 
before  men ;  let  it  become  one  with  God  in  Christ,  and  then, 

"  Sweet  as  home  to  pilgrim  weary, 
Light  to  newly  opened  eyes, 
Flowing  streams  in  desert  dreary. 
Is  the  rest  the  cross  supplies." 

Does  a  church  want  revival,  then  let  its  members  put  away 
from  them  every  thing  that  is  offensive  to  God  ;  let  them  re- 
turn to  walk  in  his  ways,  and  to  wait  on  his  ordinances,  and 


200  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

times  of  refreshing  will  surely  come.  Do  we  wish  revival  in 
our  city  and  in  our  land ;  then  we  must  begin  by  preaching 
repentance.  John  the  Baptist  yet  must  be  the  precursor 
of  the  Christ.  So  let  us  raise  the  cry  "  Repent !  repent !" 
for  the  greatest  blessing  God  can  confer  upon  us,  a  bless- 
ing carrying  every  other  boon  of  a  spiritual  sort  within  it,  is 
"  when  he  turns  us  away  from  our  iniquities."  There  is  the 
whole  difficulty.  You  can  not  have  both  the  refreshing  and 
the  iniquities.  Now,  which  will  you  give  up  for  the  other  ? 
There  is  much  prayer  for  revival  now — God  grant  that  it  be 
sincere! — but  if  you  pray  for  revival  with  iniquity  still  en- 
shrined in  your  hearts,  your  supplication  is  a  mockery,  and 
will  be  answered  with  judgment  rather  than  with  blessing. 
Let  us  have  a  revival  of  repentance,  and  the  times  of  re- 
freshing will  be  at  the  door. 


XIV. 

BEFORE  THE  COUNCIL. 

Acts  iv. 

THE  first  antagonists  of  the  apostles  were  of  two 
classes.  The  one  was  composed  of  the  priests  who 
were  then  engaged  in  the  Temple,  headed  by  the  Levitical 
official  whose  special  function  it  was  to  prevent  disturbances 
in  the  sacred  precincts.  Their  motive  in  seeking  to  silence 
the  new  preachers  was  personal ;  for,  belonging,  as  they  did, 
to  a  separate  body,  whose  members  had  peculiar  privileges, 
they  were  naturally  jealous  of  the  rise  of  others  to  influence 
and  importance.  They  wanted  to  keep  the  instruction  of 
the  people  in  their  own  hands,  and  so  they  availed  them 
selves  of  the  slight  confusion  which  was  created  by  the  com- 
ing together  of  so  great  a  crowd,  as  a  pretext  for  laying  hold 
of  Peter  and  John,  and  putting  them  into  prison. 

Nor  has  this  spirit  been  peculiar  to  these  earliest  antago- 
nists of  the  Gospel.  Wherever  the  ministers  of  religion  ac- 
count themselves  priests,  there  similar  intolerance  is  cher- 
ished and,  if  possible,  enforced.  In  those  countries  where 
Popery  is  the  religion  of  the  State,  no  spiritual  instruction  is 
allowed  to  be  communicated  to  the  people,  save  under  the 
oversight  of  the  priests ;  and  even  in  lands  where  religious 
equality  is  the  law,  you  will  find  that  the  notion  is  industri- 
ously circulated  among  the  people,  that,  in  consequence  of 
their  office,  the  words  of  the  priests  have  a  certain  power 
and  virtue  to  which  those  of  others  can  lay  no  claim.  Priest- 
hood, wherever  you  find  it, means  spiritual  monopoly;  and  by 

9* 


202  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

whomsoever  it  is  claimed,  whether  by  papal  priest,  or  An- 
glican clergyman,  or  Presbyterian  minister,  or  Congregation- 
al pastor,  it  is  alike  unscriptural  and  intolerant. 

It  is  right  and  proper,  of  course,  that  there  should  be  of- 
fice-bearers in  the  Church ;  but  their  appointment  to  office 
does  not  give  them  the  warrant  to  forbid  any  one  from  using 
without  the  Church  the  gifts  which  God  has  given  him  ;  nor 
does  it  give  to  things  done  by  them,  or  words  uttered  by 
them,  a  character  which  they  would  not  possess  equally  if 
done  or  said  by  an  unofficial  member.  Let  us  testify  against 
this  arrogant  and  offensive  spirit  when  it  is  manifested  by 
others,  and  let  us  strive  against  it  in  ourselves.  Let  us  cul- 
tivate the  disposition  of  Moses,  who,  when  Joshua  ran  to  re- 
quest that  he  would  forbid  Eldad  and  Medad  to  prophesy 
in  the  camp,  said,  "  Would  God  that  all  the  Lord's  people 
were  prophets !"  Let  us  imitate  the  example  of  Paul,  who, 
though  some  preached  Christ  of  contention,  supposing  to  add 
affliction  to  his  bonds,  rejoiced  therein.  Above  all,  let  us 
drink  in  the  spirit  of  our  Divine  Master,  who,  when  his  dis- 
ciples told  him  that  they  had  forbidden  one  to  work  mira- 
cles in  his  name,  because  he  followed  not  with  them,  replied, 
"  Forbid  him  not ;  for  there  is  no  man  which  shall  do  a 
miracle  in  my  name  that  can  lightly  speak  evil  of  me."* 

The  other  class  of  antagonists  to  the  first  preachers  of 
the  Gospel  was  formed  of  Sadducees,  who  were  moved  not 
so  much  by  personal  as  by  doctrinal  considerations.  They 
were  the  radical  party  in  the  Jewish  nation,  as  opposed  to 
the  Pharisees,  who  were  the  conservative.  The  Pharisees 
were  jealous  for  all  the  restrictions  of  the  law  of  Moses,  in 
order  that  they  might  the  better  keep  the  nation  isolated 
from  surrounding  countries.  The  Sadducees,  on  the  other 
hand,  wished  to  enter  into  fuller  fellowship  with  their  neigh- 

*  Numb,  xi.,  29  ;  Phil,  i.,  15-18  ;  Mark  iy.,  39. 


Before  the  Council.  203 

bors,  and  therefore  they  desired  to  break  down  as  much  as 
possible  those  barriers  of  religious  ceremony  and  belief 
which  stood  in  the  way  of  the  attainment  of  their  desires. 
Thus  their  political  position  influenced  their  religious  creed, 
and  they  pared  down  and  explained  away  the  distinctive 
tenets  of  the  Jewish  faith  until  they  had  reached  the  level 
of  utter  naturalism.  They  were  the  Broad  school  of  the 
Jewish  Church.  Their  creed  consisted  in  negations  rather 
than  in  affirmations.  It  would  be  easier  to  tell  what  they 
did  not  believe  than  to  say  what  they  really  received.  As 
we  learn  from  another  passage  of  the  New  Testament,  they 
denied  the  existence  of  angel  or  spirit.  They  repudiated, 
also,  as  it  would  seem  by  necessary  inference  from  the  fact 
just  mentioned,  the  doctrine  of  immortality  ;  and  that  of  the 
resurrection  of  the  body  was  their  special  aversion.  Now, 
as  Peter  put  in  the  very  forefront  of  his  defense  the  asser- 
tion that  Jesus  Christ  was  risen  from  the  dead,  they  were 
stirred  into  antagonism,  and  joined  in  the  attempt  to  coerce 
the  apostles  into  silence. 

It  has  often  been  alleged  by  the  advocates  of  infidelity 
that  they  are  the  most  tolerant  of  men.  It  has  been  af- 
firmed, also,  that  while  every  religious  sect  in  turn  has  been 
guilty  of  persecution,  infidelity  has  never  through  its  adher- 
ents attempted  to  interfere  with  any  one  for  the  maintenance 
or  diffusion  of  his  religious  faith.  But  in  the  conduct  of 
those  Sadducees  who  endeavored  to  gag  Peter  we  see  that 
even  they  who  boast  of  the  widest  liberalism  may  be  guilty 
of  the  greatest  mtolerance.  The  origin  of  persecution  is  in 
the  human  heart ;  and  only  when  that  is  changed  by  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  through  the  word  of  the  truth  as  it 
is  in  Jesus,  may  we  hope  to  see  intolerance  disappear,  and 
true  charity  take  its  place. 

In  the  prison  the  apostles  remained  for  the  night ;  and 
on   the  morrow   they  were   formally  arraigned   before  the 


204  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

Council.  This  was  a  body  composed  of  twenty-four  priests, 
twenty-four  elders  of  the  people,  and  an  equal  number  of 
scribes  and  lawyers.  It  met  in  a  hall  called  Gazith,  sup- 
posed by  some  to  have  been  situated  in  the  south-east  cor- 
ner of  one  of  the  courts  near  the  Temple  building.  It  sat 
every  day  from  the  termination  of  morning  sacrifice  till  the 
evening  sacrifice,  save  on  the  Sabbath  and  the  festival  days. 
The  president  occupied  an  elevated  seat :  on  his  right  hand 
was  the  vice-president,  and  on  his  left  the  referee ;  while  the 
members,  seated  on  low  cushions,  with  their  knees  bent  and 
crossed  in  the  Oriental  fashion,  were  arranged  according  to 
their  learning  and  age  in  a  semicircle,  so  that  they  could  all 
see  each  other,  and  all  of  them  be  seen  by  the  president  and 
vice-president. 

Before  this  august  assembly,  then,  Peter  and  John  were 
placed,  and  the  question  was  put  to  them, "  By  what  power, 
or  by  what  name,  have  ye  done  this  ?"  a  question,  be  it  ob- 
served, which  admitted  that  a  miracle  had  been  performed, 
and  inquired  only  what  its  significance  was. 

In  answer,  Peter  begins  courteously,  yet  with  a  quiet  irony 
almost  akin  to  humor,  saying,  "  Since  it  is  so,  that  we  stand 
at  your  bar,  not  as  malefactors,  but  for  the  good  deed  done 
to  the  impotent  man,  and  you  desire  to  know  how  he  was 
made  whole,  be  it  known  unto  you  all,  and  to  all  the  house 
of  Israel,  that  by  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  whom  ye 
crucified,  whom  God  raised  from  the  dead,  even  by  him  doth 
this  man  stand  here  before  you  whole."  Then,  according  to 
his  custom,  and  guided  by  th^t  Spirit  by  whom  he  was  filled, 
he  fortifies  his  statement  by  a  reference  to  the  Jewish  Script- 
ures, quoting  a  passage  which  had  been  similarly  employed 
by  the  Lord  himself,  and  implying  that  it  had  been  verified 
in  his  case,  "  This  is  the  stone  which  was  set  at  naught  of 
you  builders,  which  is  become  the  head  of  the  corner;"  and, 
rising  from  the  particular  instance  before  him,  and  with  his 


Before  the  Council.  205 

heart  all  aglow  with  the  fervor  of  a  lofty  enthusiasm,  he  gave 
utterance  to  one  of  those  sentences  which  every  great  crisis 
in  the  world's  history  strikes  out  of  some  one  of  God's  apos- 
tles, and  which,  becoming  the  watch-words  of  the  army  of 
progress,  are  in  themselves  "  half-battles."  He  said,  "  Neither 
is  there  salvation  in  any  other  ;  for  there  is  none  other  name 
under  heaven  given  among  men  whereby  we  must  be  saved." 

These  pointed  words  produced  a  deep  impression  on  the 
minds  of  the  members  of  the  Council,  and  so  turned  the  ta- 
bles upon  them,  that,  though  they  occupied  the  position  of 
judges,  they  felt  that  they  were  themselves  put  upon  their 
defense.  They  could  not  deny  that  a  real  miracle  had  been 
wrought;  neither  could  they  gainsay  the  accusations  which 
Peter  brought  against  them  ;  and  so,  reminded,  by  the  words 
and  bearing  of  the  prisoners,  of  Jesus  and  his  trial,  with  its 
terrible  termination,  they  thought  the  prudent  course  would  be 
to  hush  the  matter  up  in  the  quietest  possible  way.  Hence, 
after  a  little  private  consultation,  they  put  on  a  stern  front, 
and  commanded  them  never  to  teach  again  in  the  name  of 
Jesus.  But  their  admonition  was  to  no  purpose ;  for  the 
more  they  threatened,  the  bolder  and  more  resolute  did  their 
antagonists  become.  Nay,  more,  they  expressed  their  deter- 
mination to  disobey  the  injunction  which  they  had  received, 
and  that  in  such  language  that  their  very  judges  were  put  to 
silence,  for  they  said,  "  Whether  it  be  right  in  the  sight  of 
God  to  hearken  unto  you  more  than  unto  God,  judge  ye ; 
for  we  can  not  but  speak  the  things  which  we  have  seen  and 
heard." 

Thus  the  two  plain  unlettered  men  set  them  at  defiance  ; 
and  the  members  of  the  Council,  finding  that  they  could  do 
nothing  with  them,  dismissed  them  from  the  assembly. 

Immediately  on  their  release,  Peter  and  John  betook  them- 
selves to  their  brethren,  and  together  with  them  poured  out 
their  earnest  prayer  that  God  would  sustain  them  in  the  ar- 


2o6  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

duous  work  on  which  they  had  entered,  and,  delivering  them 
from  the  fear  of  men,  would  enable  them  boldly  to  proclaim 
the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  Nor  did  they  need  to  tarry  long 
for  an  answer ;  for  while  they  were  yet-  speaking,  Jehovah 
heard  them,  and,  amidst  visible  tokens  of  the  divine  majesty, 
they  received  a  fresh  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  came 
out  of  this,  their  first  tribulation,  more  devoted  than  ever  to 
the  Lord  Jesus,  and  more  determined  than  ever  to  preach 
his  Gospel. 

Such,  in  brief,  is  the  substance  of  this  section  of  apostolic 
history.  Let  us  see  what  practical  inferences  we  may  draw 
from  it  appropriate  to  ourselves. 

In  the  first  place,  we  may  learn  that  if  we  are  really  Christ's 
disciples  we  may  expect  to  encounter  antagonism.  Jesus 
had  said  to  his  followers,  "In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribu- 
lation," and  Peter  and  John  were  now  beginning  to  experi- 
ence what  he  meant.  In  our  day,  and  in  our  land,  it  is  hap- 
pily all  but  impossible  for  one  to  be  put  into  prison  or  con- 
demned to  death  on  account  of  his  religious  belief;  but  it 
would  be  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  the  Christian  has  no  op- 
position of  any  sort  to  fear.  The  world  being  as  it  is,  one 
can  not  be  earnest  in  carrying  out  religious  principle  in  any 
department  of  society  without  provoking  some  sort  of  ani- 
mosity. It  may  take  the  form  of  a  sneer  or  a  taunt ;  or  that 
of  dismissal  from  some  situation  ;  or  that  of  the  perpetration 
of  a  series  of  practical  annoyances,  each  in  itself  too  paltry 
to  be  important,  but  all  of  them  when  combined  sufficient  to 
constitute  a  heavy  burden.  But  in  some  form  or  other  it 
will  come  ;  for  Christ's  words  are  as  true  to-day  as  they  were 
when  he  first  uttered  them,  and  we  have  reason  to  stand  in 
doubt  of  our  earnestness  in  the  spiritual  life,  if  we  know 
nothing  whatever  of  the  world's  antagonism.  We  have  no 
need,  indeed,  to  go  out  of  our  way  for  opposition,  or  to  do 
any  thing  on  purpose  to  provoke  animosity.     That  would  be 


Before  the  Council.  207 

both  foolish  and  unchristian.  But  wlien,  in  our  ordinary 
course  of  serving  Christ,  we  are  opposed  by  those  who  hate 
him,  let  us  be  thankful  for  an  opportunity  of  standing  up  for 
principle,  and  let  us  accept  it  as  an  evidence  that  our  dis- 
cipleship  is  genuine. 

But  we  may  infer,  in  the  second  place,  that  if  we  are  really 
Christ's  disciples,  there  will  be  something  about  us  that  will 
remind  the  world  of  him.  The  priests  and  rulers  as  they 
listened  to  Peter's  words,  and  looked  upon  his  dauntless  de- 
meanor, "  took  knowledge  of  him  that  he  had  been  with  Je- 
sus." The  inner  springs  of  character  may  be  hidden,  but  the 
life  will  make  evident  of  what  sort  they  are.  "As  a  man 
thinketh  in  his  heart,  so  is  he." 

No  doubt  there  is  such  a  thing  as  hypocrisy,  which  con- 
sists in  a  discrepancy  between  so  much  of  the  conduct  as 
is  seen  and  the  real  disposition.  But  the  possibility  of  that 
arises  from  the  fact  that  no  man  can  see  the  entire  conduct 
of  another.  If  we  could  observe  all  the  actions  of  a  man  in 
all  circumstances,  it  would  not  be  possible  for  him  to  impose 
upon  us  by  making  himself  pass  for  what  he  is  not.  There 
are  no  hypocrites  before  God.  Hence,  the  occurrence  of 
cases  in  which  we  have  been  deceived  by  outward  appear- 
ances does  not  invalidate  the  position  that  from  a  man's 
conduct,  generally  speaking,  you  may  tell  his  character. 
Whatever  is  in  him  will  come  out  sooner  or  later ;  and  if 
Christ  be  in  him,  he  too  will  appear  in  well-defined  char- 
acteristics. Not,  of  course,  that  the  Chistian  will  study  to 
attract  men's  attention  by  his  peculiarities,  for  the  beauty 
of  Christ -likeness  is  its  unconsciousness  of  itself  Peter 
and  John  here  were  as  far  as  possible  from  seeking  to 
thrust  themselves  on  the  notice  of  the  Council.  They  were 
trying  simply  to  serve  their  Lord ;  yet  in  seeking  to  do  that 
they  so  acted  as  to  bring  prominently  before  the  minds  of 
their  judges  the  fact  that  they  had  been  with  Jesus. 


2o8  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

And  it  is  interesting  to  observe  what  those  qualities  were 
that  specially  produced  such  an  effect.  They  were  their 
"boldness,"  and  "want  of  learning."  Mark,  not  their  bold- 
ness alone,  but  that  taken  in  connection  with  the  fact  that 
they  belonged  to  the  common  order  of  the  people,  and  were 
destitute  of  all  rabbinical  learning.  It  may  at  first  seem 
strange  that  boldness  should  have  reminded  these  councilors 
of  Jesus,  for  that  is  not  a  quality  which  we  usually  associate 
with  Christ.  Had  it  been  written,  "When  they  saw  their 
humility,  or  benevolence,  or  calmness,  or  meekness,  they  took 
knowledge  of  them,  that  they  had  been  with  Jesus,"  we 
should  have  thought  it  more  natural.  But  when  we  take 
their  boldness  along  with  the  fact  that  they  were  unlearned 
men,  all  difficulty  disappears,  for  that  combination  presented 
to  the  rulers  the  same  puzzle  which  they  had  seen  in  Jesus. 

Here  were  two  plain  men,  of  no  education,  and  only  a 
short  while  before  laboring  as  fishermen;  yet  disregarding 
all  worldly  considerations,  and  standing  undauntedly  in  their 
presence  testifying  to  Christ.  They  could  neither  bribe 
them,  nor  threaten  them  into  silence.  There  was  no  princi- 
ple in  their  natures  to  which  they  could  make  such  appeals. 
There  was  no  handle  by  which  they  could  take  hold  of  them. 
They  knew  not  what  to  do  with  them.  They  presented  to 
them  the  same  insoluble  enigma  as  Jesus  had  done,  when, 
in  heroic  silence,  and  with  unruffled  calmness,  he  had  stood 
at  the  bar  of  Caiaphas  and  Pilate,  and  had  endured  at  length 
the  agonies  of  crucifixion.  This,  then  —  the  incomprehen- 
sibility of  the  men — it  was  that  reminded  them  of  Christ. 
They  could  not  understand  the  motives  by  which  they  were 
actuated.  They  were  perplexed  by  the  self-possession  and 
the  utter  unworldliness  which  they  manifested.  They  had 
seen  many  men  act  from  love  of  money,  or  of  fame,  or  of 
pleasure,  but  here  was  a  new  and  unintelligible  thing  to 
them.     They  had  seen  nothing  like  it,  save  in  Jesus  Christ, 


Before  the  Council.  209 

and  so  they  ''  took  knowledge  of  them  that  they  had  been 
with  him." 

But  it  is  always  so.  The  Christian  is  a  mystery  to  other 
men.  In  their  view,  his  conscientiousness  is  crotchetiness ; 
his  disregard  of  worldly  gains,  when  they  are  inconsistent 
with  rectitude,  is  foolish  squeamishness ;  his  earnestness  is 
fanaticism ;  his  piety  is  weakness.  They  marvel  at  him. 
This  has  been  the  case  in  all  the  Christian  centuries ;  it  is 
the  case  to-day.  Find  me  a  man  whose  whole  life-work  is 
a  devoted  service  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  I  will  show  you  in 
him  a  man  who  is  a  puzzle  to  all  the  unconverted  round  him. 

Now,  is  there  any  thing  of  this  about  us  ?  Have  we  al- 
ways acted  so  as  to  render  it  impossible  for  worldly  men  to 
explain  our  conduct  on  any  other  supposition  than  that  we 
are  Christians.?  Are  our  aims  too  high  for  them  to  see — 
our  motives  too  exalted  for  them  to  comprehend — our  stand- 
ard too  elevated  for  them  to  reach  ?  Then  may  we  take 
comfort  in  all  that  as  an  evidence  that  we  are  like  the  Lord. 
But  if  they  see  only  too  plainly  that  our  principles  are  iden- 
tical with  theirs ;  if  they  behold  in  us  the  same  regard  for 
worldly  considerations,  the  same  fawning  on  the  wealthy  in 
the  expectation  of  receiving  something  at  their  hands ;  the 
same  fear  to  be  true  to  conviction,  lest  profit  should  be  lost ; 
the  same  paltry  littlenesses  of  every  kind  that  they  are  con- 
scious of  in  themselves,  then  it  is  to  be  feared  that  we  have 
never  been  with  Jesus,  and  never  learned  of  him  that  "  man 
shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word  that  pro- 
ceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God." 

We  may  infer,  in  the  third  place,  that  if  we  are  really 
Christ's  disciples,  the  one  rule  of  our  lives  will  be  to  hearken 
unto  God.  What  noble  words  are  these,  "Whether  it  be 
right  in  the  sight  of  God  to  hearken  unto  you  more  than 
unto  God,  judge  ye!"  "Right  in  the  sight  of  God" — that 
is  ever  what  the  Christian  seeks  to  do.     As  in  the  natural 


2IO  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

world  the  one  great  principle  of  gravitation  pervades  the 
universe,  so  that  amidst  multiform  variety  there  is  still  unity 
of  operation,  so  in  the  Christian  life  the  all-regulating  prin- 
ciple is  obedience  to  God  springing  out  of  love  to  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  In  little  things  as  in  great ;  in  secular  things 
as  in  those  which  are  called  sacred  ;  in  private  matters  as  in 
public ;  in  politics  as  in  religion,  his  rule  is  to  do  that  which 
-is  "  right  in  the  sight  of  God."  His  conscience  takes  the  law 
from  God,  and,  no  matter  what  will  come,  he  will  act  upon 
its  dictates. 

See  how  this  was  exemplified  in  the  life  of  the  Christian 
soldier,  Henry  Havelock,  who,  though  he  was  at  length  the 
savior  of  the  British  empire  in  India,  was  for  a  weary  while 
only  a  lieutenant.  He  writes  thus  to  a  friend  in  regard  to 
his  prospects :  "  Let  me  ask  what  it  is  you  mean  by  prej- 
udices against  me  ?  Tell  me  plainly.  I  am  not  aware  of 
any.  Old  and  others  used  to  tell  me  that  it  was  be- 
lieved at  the  Horse-guards  and  in  other  quarters  that  I  pro- 
fessed to  fear  God  as  well  as  to  honor  the  Queen ;  and  that 
Lord  Hill  and  others  had  made  up  their  minds  that  a  man 
could  not  be  at  once  a  saint  and  a  soldier.  Now,  I  dare 
say  such  great  authorities  must  be  right,  notwithstanding  the 
example  of  Colonel  Gardiner,  and  Cromwell,  and  Gustavus 
Adolphus ;  but  if  so,  all  I  can  say  is,  that  their  bit  of  red 
ribbon  was  very  ill  bestowed  on  me  ;  for  I  humbly  trust  that 
in  that  great  matter  I  should  not  change  my  opinions  and 
practices  though  it  rained  Garters  and  coronets  as  the  re- 
ward of  apostasy."  The  man  who  wrote  these  words  had 
been  with  Jesus,  and  was  already  a  hero — long  before  the 
victory  of  Lucknow. 

Do  not,  however,  misunderstand  me  here,  so  far  as  to  sup- 
pose that  a  Christian  should  never  be  found  working  in  any 
matter  with  a  man  of  the  world.  On  the  contrary,  there  are 
many  occasions  when  the  line  of  duty  for  him  will  lie  along 


Before  the  Council.  211 

that  which  worldly  men  are  taking;  but  then  he  follows  it, 
not  because  they  are  on  it,  but  because  he  believes  that  it 
is  "  right  in  God's  sight  "  for  him  to  take  it.  And  when  the 
two  roads  part,  it  is  clearly  seen  who  his  Master  is.  If  you 
were  to  observe  him  only  when  he  is  going  along- side  of 
some  godless  men,  you  might,  perhaps,  for  a  moment  stand 
in  doubt  concerning  him  ;  but  when  you  mark  his  course 
from  first  to  last,  you  discover  that  when  he  joins  the  uncon- 
verted it  is  not  to  conform  to  them,  and  when  he  leaves  them 
it  is  not  from  love  of  singularity,  but  that  in  both  cases  he  is 
doing  what  he  believes  to  be  right.  Here,  then,  ought  to  be 
our  rule — to  do  the  right.  The  right,  not  the  profitable  ;  the 
right,  not  the  pleasant ;  the  right,  not  the  fashionable ;  the 
right,  not  that  which  leads  to  earthly  honor.  And  to  know 
what  is  right  we  must  betake  ourselves,  not  to  any  human 
statute-book,  but  to  the  divine  law — for  the  Christian  rule  is, 
to  do  that  which  is  right  in  the  sight  of  God. 

Brethren,  are  we  prepared  to  act  according  to  this  law? 
Merchant,  art  thou  willing  to  do  what  is  right  in  the  sight 
of  God,  even  though  heaps  of  gain  may  be  set  before  thee 
to  seduce  thee  from  thine  integrity?  Statesman,  wilt  thou 
take  this  noble  stand,  though  place  and  power  may  beckon 
thee  to  leave  the  high  ground  of  patriotism  and  duty  ?  Work- 
man, wilt  thou  be  true  to  this  holy  law,  though  the  tyranny 
of  thy  fellows  should  seek  to  overwhelm  thee  with  destruc- 
tion ?  Employer,  wilt  thou  seek  always  to  keep  by  this  stand- 
ard, though  capital  and  cabal  may  strive  to  push  thee  to  the 
wall  ?  Minister  of  Christ,  wilt  thou  obey  this  divine  maxim, 
though  popularity  and  fame  wait  not  upon  thy  faithfulness  ? 
Are  not  these  the  questions  which  the  events  of  every  day 
are  putting  in  ever- new  forms  to  every  one  of  us?  Oh, 
brethren !  how  are  we  answering  them  ?  God  send  to  us 
the  holy  boldness  and  determined  thoroughness  of  Peter, 
that  we  say  to  every  adversary, "  Whether  it  be  right  in  the 


212  Peter,  THE  Apostle. 

sight  of  God  to  hearken  unto  you  more  than  unto  God,  judge 
ye." 

We  may  infer,  in  the  fourth  place,  that  if  we  are  really 
Christ's  disciples,  our  chosen  fellowship  will  be  with  those 
who  are  already  his.  We  read  that,  "  Being  let  go,  they 
went  unto  their  own  company."  There  had  been  an  ex- 
ternal pressure  put  upon  them  which  had  kept  them  from 
following  the  bent  of  their  inclination,  but  the  moment  they 
were  free  to  act  upon  their  own  impulse  they  went  to  the 
brethren  with  whom  they  were  associated.  Now,  it  is  simi- 
lar with  men  yet.  There  are  times  when,  though  we  may 
not  be  actual  prisoners,  we  are  kept  by  the  force  of  polite- 
ness, or  the  demands  of  business,  from  those  with  whom  we 
would  otherwise  be  found  ;  but  so  soon  as  that  pressure  is 
withdrawn,  we  betake  ourselves  to  the  friends  in  whose  fel- 
lowship our  greatest  happiness  is  enjoyed.  There  is  thus  a 
kind  of  elasticity  in  our  nature,  such  that  it  stretches  to  a 
certain  extent  under  the  influences  to  which  at  the  moment 
we  are  exposed ;  but  when  these  are  removed,  it  goes  back 
to  its  original  condition. 

Hence  we  are  furnished  with  two  tests,  by  the  use  of  which 
we  may  discover  our  true  character.  When  is  it,  let  us  ask, 
that  we  feel  ourselves  under  constraint?  Is  it  when  through 
necessary  business  we  find  ourselves  associated  with  men 
who  have  no  regard  for  Christ  ?  I  can  conceive  that,  in  the 
prosecution  of  his  proper  calling,  a  Christian  may  find  him- 
self in  most  uncongenial  society  ;  and  that,  though  he  will 
leave  it  as  soon  as  possible,  he  may  not  find  it  possible  to 
leave  it  as  soon  as  he  wishes.  But  all  the  while  he  is  un- 
comfortable. He  is  not  in  his  element.  He  longs  to  be 
away,  and,  like  the  bird  in  the  cage,  which,  so  soon  as  the 
door  is  open,  leaps  out  to  seek  its  own  familiar  grove,  he 
hastens  to  the  company  of  his  believing  friends  the  mo- 
ment that  he  can  break  away.     Now,  if  we  know  any  thing 


Before  the  Council.  213 

of  such  an  experience  as  that,  we  may  take  it  as  an  evi- 
dence that  we  are  Christ's. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  constraint  be  felt  by  us  when  we 
are  in  Christian  society ;  if  we  feel  obliged  to  go  to  God's 
house,  it  may  be  even  to  God's  table,  simply  to  keep  up  ap- 
pearances, but  feeling  all  the  time  that  we  would  rather  be 
elsewhere  ;  if,  because  we  have  become  involved  in  a  Chris- 
tian family,  we  are  entangled  into  going  with  its  members 
to  the  prayer-meeting,  or  into  joining  with  them  in  evening 
worship ;  if  all  through  the  religious  services  we  appear  to 
be  devout,  while  inwardly  we  are  voting  them  a  bore ;  and 
if  as  we  leave  the  house  we  feel  that  we  are  indeed  "  let  go," 
and  have  within  us  some  such  emotion  as  the  prisoner  has 
when  he  hears  the  heavy  jail -doors  shut  behind  him,  and 
finds  himself  again  a  free  man,  then  we  may  be  thoroughly 
sure  that  we  are  none  of  Christ's. 

It  is  only  another  side  of  this  same  thought  when  I  add 
that  we  have  here  a  valuable  test  in  the  questions,  "What  is 
our  own  company  ?  With  what  sort  of  people  do  we  find  our 
highest  enjoyment?"  The  proverb  says  that  "a  man  is 
known  by  the  company  he  keeps;"  and  if  you,  a  Christian 
professor,  have  for  your  peculiar  and  innermost  friends  men 
who  are  utterly  regardless  of  all  spiritual  things,  then  you 
have  reason,  not  only  to  suspect  that  you  are  wrong,  but  also 
to  believe  that  you  are  still  in  the  gall  of  bitterness  and  the 
bond  of  iniquity.  "  What  communion  hath  light  with  dark- 
ness ?  What  fellowship  hath  Christ  with  Belial  ?"  Remem- 
ber that  you  are  only  what  you  are  in  your  deepest  and  in- 
nermost nature  ;  and  if  your  religion  be  merely  a  surface 
thing,  while  the  entire  under-current  of  your  being  is  going 
in  the  opposite  direction,  you  are  simply  an  irreligious  man. 
You  can  not  be  really  a  follower  of  Jesus,  and  find  your 
highest  satisfaction  in  the  fellowship  of  those  who  despise 
him. 


214  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  your  highest  pleasure  is  in  the 
companionship  of  Christian  brethren  ;  if,  when  you  are  worn 
and  weary  with  contending  with  sin  within  you  and  with  sin 
around  you,  there  is  still  for  you  a  solace  in  the  fellowship 
of  believers ;  if  your  deepest  happiness  has  been  in  Chris- 
tian ordinances,  Christian  friendship,  and  Christian  work ; 
if  the  company  to  whom  you  belong  be  men  of  God,  "  full 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of  faith  •"  if  your  experience  of  their 
communion  be  that  given  in  the  poet's  words : 

"  As  birds  of  social  feather  helping  each 
His  fellow's  flight,  we  soared  into  the  skies, 
And  cast  the  clouds  beneath  our  feet,  and  earth 
With  all  her  tardy,  leaden-footed  cares. 
And  talked  the  speech,  and  eat  the  food  of  heaven — "* 

then  you  have  a  striking  evidence  that  you  belong  to  Jesus 
himself,  and  a  strong  assurance  that  your  home  at  last  will 
be  with  him  and  his  redeemed. 

Finally,  we  may  infer  that  if  we  are  really  Christ's,  we 
shall  betake  ourselves  in  every  time  of  trial  to  the  throne  of 
grace.  When  the  apostles  had  reported  to  their  brethren 
the  troubles  into  which  they  had  been  brought,  and  the 
threatening  which  had  been  pronounced  against  them,  they 
lifted  up  their  hearts  with  one  accord  in  supplication  to  God. 
The  prayer  which  they  offered  is  remarkable  for  its  Script- 
ural allusiveness,  its  homely  directness,  its  recognition  of 
God's  hand  in  every  thing,  and  its  comprehensive  brevity. 
Scarcely  was  it  finished,  when  the  place  was  shaken  as  on 
Pentecost,  and  they  were  all  anew  baptized  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  so  "that  they  spake  the  word  of  God  with  boldness." 

Now,  here  again  we  are  furnished  with  a  test  whereby 
we  may  discover  our  real  character.  To  whom  do  we  go  in 
time  of  perplexity?     Some  repair  to  fellow- men;  but  they 

*  Pollok. 


Before  the  Council.  215 

can  give  no  effectual  help  in  our  deepest  extremities,  for  they 
are  simply  on  a  level  with  ourselves.  Others  have  recourse 
to  poisonous  drugs,  such  as  opium,  alcohol,  and  the  like, 
that  they  may  steep  themselves  in  insensibility,  and  so  forget 
their  affliction.  But  that  only  aggravates  the  evil  by  bring- 
ing a  terrible  reaction  at  the  last.  All  such  expedients  are 
really  beneath  us.  But  the  Christian  looks  up.  When  he 
is  in  perplexity,  he  prays  to  be  led  to  "the  rock  that  is  high- 
er than  he."  He  believes  that  precious  word  of  promise, 
"When  the  poor  and  needy  seek  water,  and  there  is  none, 
and  their  tongue  faileth  for  thirst,  I  the  Lord  will  hear  them, 
I  the  God  of  Israel  will  not  forsake  them.  I  will  open  riv- 
ers in  high  places,  and  fountains  in  the  midst  of  the  valleys  : 
I  will  make  the  wilderness  a  pool  of  water,  and  the  dry  land 
springs  of  water,"*  and  he  looks  for  its  fulfillment  in  his 
time  of  need.  Nor  does  he  look  in  vain  ;  for  answers  to 
prayer  are  not  confined  to  this  book.  The  life  of  every 
saint  is  full  of  them  ;  and  he  is  daily  encouraged  to  tell  the 
Lord  "all  that  is  in  his  heart."  But  if  we  never  call  upon 
God  in  supplication,  if  our  troubles  only  drive  us  farther 
from  him,  if  in  our  secret  souls  we  cherish  the  desire  to  be 
independent  of  him,  then  it  is  clear  that  we  are  none  of  his. 
God  has  no  dumb  children  in  his  spiritual  family;  and  if 
no  voice  of  praise  proc^eeds  from  our  lips,  and  no  word  of 
prayer  is  sent  up  from  our  hearts,  then  are  we  "bastards, 
and  not  sons." 

A  prayerless  heart,  a  prayerless  home,  a  prayerless  life ! 
Brethren,  there  are  no  darker  things  on  this  earth  than  these  ; 
and  they  who  have  these  things  are  depriving  themselves  of 
the  richest  solace  which  humanity  can  enjoy.  If  there  be 
such  a  one  here  to-night,  let  him  become  a  little  child  again, 
that  he  may  enter  the  kingdom  of  God  ;  let  him  recall  the 

*  Isa.  xli.,  17, 18, 


2i6  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

days  when  he  knelt  beside  his  mother's  knee,  and,  with  her 
soft,  white  hand  upon  his  head,  repeated  after  her  his  even- 
ing prayer : 

"  Now  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep, 
I  give  my  soul  to  Christ  to  keep." 

And  as  the  holy  memory  of  that  happy  time  comes  back 
upon  him,  haloed  by  the  glory  of  the  heaven  in  which  his 
mother  now  is,  let  him  repeat  the  dedication,  this  time  with 
intelligence  and  decision,  "I  give  my  soul  to  Christ  to 
keep."  It  is  the  best  thing  he  can  do.  This  is  the  best 
time  to  do  it ;  and  if  he  do  it  not  now,  it  may  never  be  done 
at  all.  Therefore,  in  the  prayer  of  his  childhood  let  him 
make  to-night  the  consecration  of  his  manhood  to  the  Lord. 


XV. 

ANANIAS  AND  SAPPHIRA. 

Acts  v.,  i-ii. 

THE  description  given  by  the  inspired  historian  of  the 
Church  in  the  early  days  of  its  triumph  and  trial  is  ex- 
ceedingly suggestive.  "  The  multitude  of  them  that  believed 
were  of  one  heart  and  of  one  soul  :  neither  said  any  of  them 
that  aught  of  the  things  which  he  possessed  was  his  own ; 
but  they  had  all  things  common.  And  with  great  power 
gave  the  apostles  witness  of  the  resurrection  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  :  and  great  grace  was  upon  them  all."*  The  union 
and  liberality  of  the  members  gave  weight  to  the  discourses 
of  the  preachers.  The  light  in  the  hands  of  the  apostles 
shone  with  an  intenser  brilliancy,  because  it  was  reflected 
by  purity  of  character  and  disinterestedness  of  conduct  in 
those  who  stood  behind  them.  One  feels,  in  reading  the 
record,  as  if  he  were  perusing  the  description  of  a  new  Para- 
dise; but,  alas!  he  has  not  gone  far  before  he  comes  upon 
the  trail  of  the  serpent,  and  sees  the  evidences  of  the  pres- 
ence of  him  who  is  the  enemy  of  God  and  men. 

"  The  corruption  of  the  best  thing  becomes  the  worst  of 
all  things,"  so  says  the  proverb ;  and  in  the  history  which 
lies  before  us  this  evening  we  have  abundant  corroboration 
of  its  truth.  Perhaps  no  feature  in  the  life  of  the  primitive 
believers  is  more  attractive  than  their  holding  of  all  things 

*  Acts  iv.,  32,  33. 
10 


2i8  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

at  the  service  of  the  brotherhood;  and  in  all  ages  since  their 
days  there  have  been  those  who  have  looked  longingly  back 
on  the  picture  which  the  Evangelist  has  here  painted,  and 
sought  to  reproduce  it  in  the  societies  with  which  they  were 
connected.  But  as  the  brighter  the  light  the  darker  ever 
is  the  shadow  that  is  cast  by  that  which  stands  in  it,  so,  in 
connection  with  this  most  delightful  characteristic  of  early 
Church  life,  and,  indeed,  springing  out  of  it,  was  the  first 
manifestation  of  hypocrisy. 

To  understand  how  it  came  about  we  must  go  back  a  lit- 
tle to  the  practice  which  was  followed  by  the  disciples  when 
they  were  going  hither  and  thither  in  Palestine  with  the 
Lord  Jesus.  They  had  a  common  fund,  which  was  kept  by 
a  treasurer,  and  out  of  which  he  paid  the  expenses  of  the 
company.  This  arrangement,  however,  was  not  inconsistent 
with  the  possession  of  personal  property  by  each  as  an  indi- 
vidual. It  was  a  matter  of  convenience;  and  was  doubtless 
in  existence  among  them  when  the  events  of  Pentecost  oc- 
curred, which  in  one  day  widened  the  circle  of  the  disciples 
from  one  hundred  and  twenty  to  three  thousand.  Natural- 
ly, there  would  be  among  such  a  number  some  poor  and 
needy  to  be  provided  for.  Perhaps  some  of  the  strangers 
then  in  Jerusalem  would  desire  to  remain  for  a  time  in  the 
city,  and  would  be  in  want  of  hospitality.  Perhaps,  also, 
some  of  the  converts  would  be  alienated,  because  of  their 
conversion,  from  their  friends  and  employers,  and  so  cast  for 
the  moment  on  charity,  while  there  would  be  the  usual  pro- 
portion of  the  destitute  and  the  sick  to  be  cared  for.  Now, 
it  would  be  quite  likely  that,  in  seeking  to  relieve  such  cases, 
the  apostles  would  begin  by  using  their  own  fund.  But  that 
would  be  soon  exhausted ;  and  we  find  that  it  was  replen- 
ished at  once  by  the  generous  enthusiasm  of  those  who  were 
in  better  circumstances  among  them.  Indeed,  it  came  to 
be  the  case  that  each  one  held  his  property,  not  for  himself 


Ananias  and  Sapphira.  219 

alone,  but  for  the  brotherhood,  and  so  they  had  the  fellow- 
ship of  giving  and  receiving. 

It  has  been  supposed  by  some  that  there  was  a  real  and 
absolute  community  of  goods  among  the  first  Christians ; 
and  it  must  be  confessed  that  some  of  the  expressions  which 
Luke  has  employed  read  very  much  as  if  it  had  been  the 
purpose  of  the  believers  "to  abolish  the  external  distinction 
between  rich  and  poor."*  But  in  regard  to  that  matter  the 
following  facts  need  to  be  borne  in  mind  :  The  state  of 
things  here  described  was  not  inconsistent  with  the  posses- 
sion of  private  and  personal  property,  for  we  shall  by-and- 
by  find  that  Mary,  the  mother  of  John,  surnamed  Mark,  had 
a  house  of  her  own  in  Jerusalem. t  There  was  no  command 
issued  by  the  apostles  to  the  effect  that  each  convert  should 
lay  his  property  at  their  feet.  It  was  not  a  term  of  member- 
ship in  the  new  society  that  each  individual  as  he  entered  it 
should  denude  himself  of  all  his  possessions  and  surrender 
them  to  the  brotherhood.  They  might  sell  their  land  or  not, 
as  they  pleased ;  they  might  give  the  proceeds  of  their  prop- 
erty to  the  Church  or  not,  as  they  pleased.  There  was  no 
compulsion  in  the  case.  They  might  be  members,  and  yet 
retain  their  wealth  at  their  own  disposal,  subject  only  to  the 
approval  of  Christ.  The  movement  described  in  the  thirty- 
fourth  verse  of  the  fourth  chapter  was  entirely  a  spontane- 
ous thing ;  and  if  we  knew  all  the  circumstances  of  the 
Church  at  the  time,  it  might  appear  to  be  simply  "  a  special 
service  for  a  special  need."  It  would  seem,  indeed,  that  in 
the  Church  at  Jerusalem  there  were  some  peculiar  difficul- 
ties in  the  way  of  securing  the  temporal  support  of  its  mem- 
bers, for  repeated  appeals  had  to  be  made  even  to  the  Gen- 
tile churches,  in  subsequent  years,  on  their  behalf.  So,  when 
we  take  into  consideration  the  points  which  have  been  ad- 


*  Schafif,  "Apostolic  Church  History,"  §  114.  +  Acts  xii.,  i: 


220  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

vanced,  we  may  see  reason  to  agree  with  Neander  that  "a 
common  chest  was  estabhshed,  from  which  the  wants  of  the 
poorer  members  of  the  Church  were  supplied,  and  perhaps, 
also,  certain  expenses  incurred  by  the  whole  Church  were 
defrayed;  and  in  order  to  increase  their  contributions  many 
persons  parted  with  their  estates."^ 

If,  however,  any  one  should  insist  that  this  explanation  is 
unsatisfactory,  and  that  the  words  of  the  history  can  mean 
nothing  but  an  absolute  community  of  goods,  then,  though  I 
can  not  agree  with  him  in  that  opinion,  I  would  ask  him  to 
remember  these  three  things  : 

1.  Even  supposing  that  communism  of  the  Christian  sort 
is  here  portrayed,  it  does  not  follow  that  we  are  bound  to 
adopt  such  an  arrangement  now.  The  matter  here  was  a 
development.  It  connected  itself  with  a  certain  set  of  cir- 
cumstances ;  and  it  was  natural  as  an  outgrowth  from  them. 
But  in  our  case  it  would  be  different.  Nothing  but  mischief 
can  result  from  attempting  to  produce  by  external  manage- 
ment that  which  w^as  here  a  spontaneous  expression  of  be- 
nevolence. What  is  binding  upon  us  is  the  cultivation  of 
the  spirit  which  dictated  this  arrangement,  not  the  particular 
form  of  the  arrangement  itself  That  we  should  "do  good 
unto  all  men,  especially  to  those  which  are  of  the  household 
of  faith,"  is  a  constant  law  of  the  Christian  life;  but  the  par- 
ticular channels  in  which  our  benevolence  shall  flow  for  the 
help  of  the  brethren  must  be  dug  for  us  by  the  exigences  of 
present  need.  And  our  wisdom  is  not  to  adopt  any  stereo- 
typed form,  but  to  seek  in  the  most  appropriate  and  service- 
able manner  to  help  the  poorer  ones  among  us  to  help  them- 
selves. 

2.  Christianity  does  not  seek  to  destroy  society,  but  only 
to  regenerate  it.     Now,  the  existence  of  social  distinctions  is 

*  Neander,  *'  Planting  and  Training,"  Bohii's  edition,  vol.  i,,  p.  26- 


Ananias  and  Sapphira.  221 

inseparable  from  any  society  in  which  free  play  is  given  to 
the  abilities  and  idiosyncrasies  of  individuals.  As  natural- 
ly as  the  hand  divides  itself  into  fingers,  or  the  tree  into 
branches,  does  society  divide  itself  into  classes.  Judging, 
therefore,  from  the  analogy  of  its  operation  in  other  cases, 
the  influence  of  the  Gospel  will  be  exerted  in  regulating  the 
relations  of  these  classes  to  each  other,  not  in  obliterating 
the  distinction  between  them.  The  community  must  not 
swallow  up  the  individual ;  neither  must  the  individual  de- 
velop himself  at  the  expense  of  the  community ;  and  it  is  the 
office  of  Christianity  to  regulate  the  relation  between  them. 
It  seeks  by  infusing  love  into  the  individual  to  keep  him  in 
harmony  with  the  community.  But  communism,  on  the  oth- 
er hand,  sacrifices  him  to  the  community,  and  the  result  is 
that  neither  attains  to  the  highest  prosperity. 

3.  If  this  which  is  described  by  Luke  were  communism, 
then,  with  all  reverence  be  it  said,  the  attempt  to  establish 
it  was  not  so  successful  as  to  attract  us  to  imitate  it ;  for  not 
only  did  the  hypocrisy  of  Ananias  and  his  wife  spring  out  of 
it,  but  it  gave  rise  not  long  after  to  murmurings  and  dispu- 
tings  concerning  the  daily  ministrations,  and  altogether  so 
distressed  the  apostles  that  they  handed  its  management 
over  to  the  deacons.  Moreover,  we  find  no  trace  of  any 
thing  like  community  of  goods  in  the  churches  founded 
among  the  Gentiles,  and  so  it  is  evident  that  the  apostles 
did  not  consider  it  an  essential  part  of  the  Christian  life. 
Besides,  in  almost  all  the  cases  in  which  it  has  been  attemjDt- 
ed,  this  system  has  led  to  evil  results.  Monasticism  began 
by  companies  of  poor  brothers  seeking  to  have  all  things  in 
common,  and  it  has  culminated  in  the  existence  of  rich  fra- 
ternities holding  in  a  dead  and  unproductive  hand  some  of 
the  finest  territories  on  the  surface  of  the  earth.  Political 
Saint- Simonianism,  on  the  other  hand,  would  loosen  the 
bands  of  society,  break  up  the  home  circle,  reduce  states- 


22  2  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

manship  to  a  copartnery  in  selfishness,  and  put  a  drag  on 
the  wheels  of  all  true  and  noble  ambition. 

These  facts  are  enough  to  show  that  even  if  an  actual 
community  of  goods  existed  among  the  first  Christians,  we 
are  under  no  obligation  to  follow  such  an  example  now. 
But,  as  I  have  already  sai^,  all  the  statements  which  are 
here  made  are  perfectly  consistent  with  the  idea  that  Luke 
is  referring  to  a  fund  for  the  support  of  the  poor,  while  the 
words  of  Peter  to  Ananias,  "While  it  remained,  was  it  not 
thine  own  ?  and  after  it  was  sold,  was  it  not  in  thine  own 
power  ?"  are  to  my  mind  utterly  irreconcilable  with  any  such 
communism  as  is  advocated  in  modern  times. 

We  suppose,  therefore,  that  there  was  among  the  Chris- 
tians of  Jerusalem,  now  several  thousands  in  number,  a  com- 
mon benevolent  fund  to  which  the  wealthier  members  of  the 
Church  were  encouraged  to  contribute,  and  for  which  many 
among  them  willingly  gave  up  their  all.  One  most  illustri- 
ous example  of  this  sort  was  Joses,  surnamed  Barnabas — a 
man  well  known  and  much  beloved  in  after -days,  as  the 
companion  of  Paul ;  and  perhaps  the  great  estimation  in 
which  he  was  held  for  his  noble  deed  may  have  been  the 
special  occasion  of  which  Satan  took  advantage,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  filling  the  hearts  of  Ananias  and  his  wife  with  the 
temptation,  before  which  they  so  ignominiously  fell.  At  any 
rate,  it  would  appear  that  this  couple  were  possessed  of 
property  which  they  sold,  and  the  price  of  which  they  pro- 
fessed to  lay  at  the  apostles'  feet.  But,  as  the  land  was, 
most  probably,  at  a  distance  from  Jerusalem,  and  they  had 
effected  the  sale  of  it  in  such  a  way  as  to  keep  secret  the 
true  amount  which  they  had  received,  they  retained  a  por- 
tion, while  they  professed  to  give  the  whole.  Thus  they 
wished  to  obtain  credit  for  a  liberality  equal  to  that  of  Bar- 
nabas, while  yet  they  withheld  a  part  of  their  property  for 
themselves.     They  attempted  to  obtain  a  crown  from  God, 


Ananias  and  Sapphira.  223 

and  at  the  same  time  to  keep  as  much  mammon  as  they 
thought  they  might  require  —  with  what  result  we  are  now 
to  see. 

Outwardly  the  act  of  Ananias  was  no  way  different  from 
that  of  Barnabas ;  but  when  he  came  in  with  his  offering,  Pe- 
ter received  a  special  revelation^.of  his  wickedness,  and  said 
unto  him,  "Ananias,  why  hath  Satan  filled  thine  heart  to  lie 
to  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  keep  back  part  of  the  price  of 
the  land  ?  While  it  remained,  was  it  not  thine  own  ?  and 
after  it  was  sold,  was  it  not  in  thine  own  power?  Why  hast 
thou  conceived  this  thing  in  thine  heart  ?  thou  hast  not  lied 
unto  men,  but  unto  God."  Scarcely  had  the  apostle  ceased 
when,  smitten  by  the  hand  of  God,  Ananias  fell  down  dead, 
and  was  carried  out  for  burial. 

Some  hours  after,  his  wife  Sapphira,  apparently  in  igno- 
rance of  what  had  occurred,  made  her  appearance  in  the 
place  of  assembly,  and  Peter  asked  her  if  they  had  sold  their 
land  for  a  sum  which  he  specified.  One  would  have  thought 
that  such  a  question  would  have  probed  her  conscience  to 
the  quick,  and  made  her  feel  that  the  secret  of  herself  and 
her  husband  had  been  discovered,  but,  defiant  to  the  last 
degree,  she  answered  "  Yea,"  whereupon  the  apostle,  having 
pointed  out  her  wickedness,  told  her  of  the  death  of  Ananias, 
and  declared  that  she  too  must  die.  "  Then  fell  she  down 
straightway  at  his  feet,  and  yielded  up  the  ghost.  And  the 
young  men  came  in,  and  found  her  dead,  and  carrying  her 
forth,  buried  her  by  her  husband."  Such,  in  brief,  are  the  in- 
cidents recorded  in  this  section  of  apostolic  history ;  but  they 
will  bear,  and  they  will  reward,  a  more  thorough  scrutiny. 

Let  us  look,  then,  first,  at  the  sin  here  charged  upon  Ana- 
nias. It  is  "lying  to  the  Holy  Ghost;"  "lying  not  unto 
men,  but  unto  God."  I  pass,  with  a  simple  mention  of  it, 
the  remarkable  proof  here  incidentally  furnished  of  the 
Deity  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  fix  your  thoughts  for  a  little 


2  24  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

on  the  sin  which  these  words  describe.  What  was  it? 
Some  make  it  virtually  identical  with  sacrilege,  which  con- 
sists in  the  using  for  a  common  purpose  of  that  which  had 
been  exclusively  consecrated  to  God.  But  Ananias  had 
never  really  consecrated  his  entire  property  to  God;  he 
only  pretended  to  do  so,  and  therefore  his  guilt  was  not  that 
of  sacrilege.  Others  would  understand  the  words  thus : 
"Why  hast  thou  belied  the  Holy  Ghost .^"  and  would  ex- 
plain them  in  this  way,  "Thou  hast  received  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  thou  professest  now  to  be  moved  by  him,  in  laying  this 
money  down  at  our  feet,  whereas  thou  hast  been  animated 
throughout  by  pride  and  selfishness ;  and  thus  thou  art  be- 
lying him."  But  there  is  no  need  for  all  this  circumlocution. 
The  meaning  is  very  plain  :  he  told  a  lie  to  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Doubtless,  it  was  to  Peter  and  his  brother  apostles  that  the 
allegation  was  made ;  but,  then,  these  men  were  not  only 
endowed  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  but  also  the  divinely  appoint- 
ed rulers  of  the  Church  in  which  the  Holy  Spirit  dwelt. 
Hence  the  lie  told  to  Peter,  as  an  office-bearer  of  the  Church, 
was  told  to  the  Church.  And  the  lie  told  to  the  Church 
was  told  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  whose  habitation  that  Church 
is.  He  made  a  false  representation  to  that  Church  which  is 
the  body  of  Christ  and  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Then  mark  the  aggravations  by  which  the  guilt  of  this  sin 
was  increased.  "Aggravations!"  I  think  I  hear  some  one 
say,  "  Should  you  not  rather  speak  of  mitigations,  for  is  it  not 
all  traced  here  to  Satan  in  the  words,  'Why  hath  Satan  filled 
thine  heart  .^'"  But  there  is  nothing  in  that  objection.  I 
admit  that  the  suggestion  came  from  Satan,  and  for  the  mak- 
ing of  that  he  will  be  held  responsible.  But  it  was  the  duty 
of  Ananias  to  repel  the  incitement;  and  because,  so  fiir 
from  doing  that,  he  fostered  the  evil  germ  until  it  sprung  up 
into  actual  sin,  he  was  guilty.  Temptation  does  not  excuse 
iniquity.    It  is  to  be  resisted,  not  yielded  to  ;  and  only  when 


Ananias  and  Sapphira.  225 

it  is  yielded  to  is  there  guilt.  No  man  sins  until  he  wills 
to  sin  ;  and  for  that  act  of  volition  no  one  but  himself  is 
responsible.  It  will  not  do,  therefore,  to  throw  the  entire 
blame  on  Satan. 

And  here  we  plainly  perceive  some  serious  aggravations. 
In  the  first  place,  it  was  a  deliberate  lie.  It  was  not  the  re- 
sult of  some  sudden  impulse ;  neither  was  it  told  under  the 
influence  of  some  temporary  excitement,  or  extorted  from 
them  by  the  rack  of  some  persecutor's  cruelty.  They  agreed 
together  to  tell  it;  and  to  this  agreement  some  mutual  de- 
liberation was  necessary,  so  that  it  was  fully  planned  be- 
tween them. 

Then  it  was  a  defiant  sin.  They  agreed  to  tempt  the 
Lord.  Now  reflect  a  moment  on  what  that  implies.  It 
means  that  they  had  determined  to  put  the  Lord  to  the 
proof  They  had  arranged  to  test  whether  or  not  he  could 
find  out  their  wickedness.  You  remember  that  it  is  written 
of  ancient  Israel,  "  They  tempted  the  Lord,  saying,  Is  the 
Lord  among  us  or  not?"*  And,  again,  it  is  affirmed  in  the 
historic  psalm  that  "they  tempted  God  in  their  heart  by 
asking  meat  for  their  lust.  Yea,  they  spake  against  God  ; 
they  said.  Can  God  furnish  a  table  in  the  wilderness  ?"t  So 
here  the  conduct  of  Ananias  and  his  wife  was  a  direct  defi- 
ance of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  if  they  had  said,  "Let  us  see  if 
God  be  in  the  Church  or  not ;  if  he  be,  let  him  find  out  our 
deception." 

In  this  view  of  the  matter  their  guilt  assumes  a  very  crim- 
son hue.  "It  is  written,  thou  shalt  not  tempt  the  Lord  thy 
God."$  So  said  our  blessed  Lord  to  the  arch-fiend,  when 
he  suggested  that  he  should  cast  himself  from  the  pinnacle 
of  the  Temple,  and  put  his  Father's  promises  to  a  presumpt- 
uous test ;  but  fearful  as  was  the  sin  which  Satan  thus  at- 

*  Exod.  xvii.,  7.  t  Psa.  Ixxviii.,  18,  19.  |  Matt,  iv.,  7. 

10* 


2  26  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

tempted  to  get  the  Saviour  to  commit,  this  wickedness  of 
Ananias  was  more  dreadful  still.  For  it  has  in  it  a  ques- 
tioning of  the  deity  and  omniscience  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
a  determination  to  put  that  to  the  test  of  one  instance.  It 
was  the  same  in  kind  with  that  committed  some  years  ago 
by  an  infidel  woman  who  was  lecturing  in  a  town  in  Lanca- 
shire, England,  and  who  said,  "  If  there  be  a  God,  I  give  him 
ten  minutes  to  take  away  my  life."  Oh,  the  long-suffering 
of  that  Jehovah  who  did  not  take  her  at  her  word  ! 

But  once  more,  this  was  a  gratuitous  sin.  They  went  out 
of  their  way  to  commit  it.  There  was  no  obligation  oth- 
er than  that  which  their  own  consciences  imposed,  which 
bound  them  to  sell  their  land,  or  give  all  the  proceeds  for 
the  general  good.  They  might  have  continued  Christians 
in  good  and  regular  standing  even  if  they  had  not  done  so ; 
for  it  was  not  a  term  of  communion  in  the  primitive  Church 
that  every  one  should  sell  all  that  he  had  and  give  to  the 
poor.  But  under  a  desire  to  have  a  reputation  for  benevo- 
lence, while  yet  they  kept  a  sum  sufficient  to  sustain  them, 
they  committed  this  sin.  If  it  had  been  in  some  matter  of 
essential  importance,  perhaps  we  might  have  found  some- 
thing more  to  say  in  their  behalf;  but  as  it  was,  they  stepped 
aside  from  the  path  for  the  very  purpose  of  committing  this 
iniquity.  Their  ambition  for  the  good  opinion  of  men,  and 
their  unwillingness  to  part  with  mammon,  were  the  two  roots 
from  which  their  sin  did  spring.  Covetousness  and  love  of 
approbation  led  them  to  their  ruin.  Of  how  many  more 
than  they  might  the  same  thing  be  said  ! 

But  now  look  at  their  punishment.  It  was  immediate 
death,  and  that,  too,  to  use  a  modern  legal  phrase,  "  by  the 
visitation  of  God."  I  am  aware,  indeed,  that  some  of  those 
commentators,  who  are  unwilling  to  admit  the  supernatural 
in  the  very  slightest  degree,  have  alleged  that  Ananias  died 
of  apoplexy ;  and  that  others  have  not  scrupled  to  say  that 


Ananias  and  Sapphira.  227 

he  was  put  to  death  by  Peter's  orders,  if  not,  indeed,  by  his 
own  hands;  but  there  is  nothing  in  the  narrative  which  af- 
fords the  slightest  warrant  for  any  such  beHefs.  The  sim- 
plest explanation  of  both  deaths  is  to  attribute  them  to  the 
hand  of  God,  and  this  is  also  the  vindication  of  their  doom  ; 
for  shall  not  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right  ?  Indeed,  I 
do  not  see  why  we  should  be  called  upon  to  defend  a  case 
like  this  just  because  it  is  recorded  in  this  book,  when  other 
similar  instances  have  occurred  in  God's  ordinary  provi- 
dence. It  is  true  that  we  are  not  always  warranted  to  infer 
that  special  things  of  this  nature  are  the  indications  of  spe- 
cial sin ;  but  still  there  are  cases  in  which  such  a  conclusion 
seems  to  be  utterly  irresistible.  It  has  been  well  said  here 
by  Dr.  Dick  that,  "  as  it  discovers  rashness  and  presumption 
to  construe  common  calamities  as  proofs  of  the  peculiar  guilt 
and  demerit  of  the  sufferers,  so  not  to  observe  the  clear  to- 
kens of  the  divine  displeasure  against  individuals  which  ap- 
pear in  the  nature  and  circumstances  of  their  punishment 
indicates  a  high  degree  of  stupidity,  a  temper  approaching 
to  atheism,  under  whatever  pretenses  of  caution  and  charity 
it  may  be  disguised."*  Nay,  the  common  sense  of  mankind 
may  be  safely  trusted  in  regard  to  such  things.  In  the  mark- 
et-place of  the  town  of  Devizes,  in  England,  there  is  a  tablet 
which  records  that  near  to  the  spot  on  which  it  is  fixe-d  a 
woman  dropped  down  dead,  having  just  uttered  the  words, 
"  If  I  have  got  the  half-crown,  may  God  strike  me  dead !"  and 
the  coin  was  found  firmly  fixed  in  the  hand  of  her  corpse. 
Now,  there  was  nothing  in  the  cases  of  Ananias  and  Sap- 
phira which  requires  vindication  more  than  there  was  in  that. 
God's  hand  was  in  both  alike,  and  that  to  the  sincerely  pious 
heart  is  enough. 

But  notwithstanding  that,  we  can  see  a  special  reason 

*  "Lectures  on  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,"  p.  81. 


2  28  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

why,  at  this  particular  time,  this  warning  came  in  the  histo- 
ry of  the  Christian  Church.  In  the  beginning  of  the  Mosa- 
ic economy,  Nadab  and  Abihu  were  stricken  down  for  burn- 
ing strange  fire  upon  the  holy  altar ;  in  the  beginning  of  the 
conquest  of  Canaan,  Achan  was  put  to  death  for  secreting  a 
portion  of  the  devoted  spoil  of  Jericho  in  his  tent ;  and  so 
now  in  the  commencement  of  the  Church's  history,  when  its 
members  were  laying  their  offerings,  that  is,  themselves,upon 
the  altar  of  consecration,  and  when  they  were  girding  them- 
selves for  the  holy  war  which  is  yet  to  issue  in  the  conquest 
of  the  world  for  Christ,  it  was  meet  that  they  should  be  put 
on  their  guard  against  hypocrisy,  and  warned  of  the  danger 
which  ever  haunts  a  divided  heart.  "I  will  be  sanctified," 
says  Jehovah,  "in  them  that  come  nigh  me,  and  before  all 
the  people  I  will  be  glorified."^ 

The  record  is  silent  as  to  the  eternal  condition  of  these 
hapless  ones,  and  we  undertake  not  to  push  aside  the  veil 
which  it  has  hung  over  their  after- state.  They  went,  like 
another,  to  their  own  place.  Let  us  follow  them  no  farther, 
but  seek  to  learn  from  their  history  the  lessons  with  which 
it  is  so  fully  fraught. 

AVe  may  see,  in  the  first  place,  the  twofold  effect  of  a  faith- 
ful ministry.  On  the  one  hand,  we  read  that  great  grace 
was  upon  them  all,  and  that  Joses  made  a  complete  sacri- 
fice of  his  property  to  the  Lord.  And,  on  the  other,  we  have 
this  dreadful  history  of  Ananias — both  under  the  immediate 
presidency  of  the  apostles.  From  the  very  first,  therefore,  it 
has  been  vain  to  seek  after  a  perfectly  pure  Church.  But 
what  I  am  most  concerned  with  now  is,  that  we  may  account 
for  both  of  these  results  by  the  faithfulness  of  the  ministry. 
The  good  are  made  better,  and,  if  the  bad  are  not  converted, 
they  are  made  worse  under  the  instruction  of  a  devoted  pas- 

*  Lev.  X., .-?. 


Ananias  and  Sapphira.  229 

tor.  If  some  develop  into  Barnabases,  to  cheer  his  heart,  oth- 
ers, alas  !  become  like  Ananias,  to  sadden  his  spirit.  Paul, 
in  writing  to  the  Philippians,  where  his  success  had  been 
very  signal,  had  to  speak  of  some  even  among  them  as  "  the 
enemies  of  the  cross  of  Christ."*  And  in  one  of  his  letters 
to  the  Corinthians,  he  says,  with  great  solemnity,  "We  are 
unto  God  a  sweet  savor  of  Christ,  in  them  that  are  saved, 
and  in  them  that  perish.  To  the  one  we  are  the  savor  of 
death  unto  death,  and  to  the  other  the  savor  of  life  unto  life. 
And  who  is  sufficient  for  these  things  ?"t  Every  earnest 
minister  understands  this  well.  As  the  years  revolve,  he  is 
encouraged  not  only  by  the  conversion  of  many  to  the  Lord, 
but  also  by  the  perception  in  many  of  those  who  are  al- 
ready Christians  of  a  deepening  of  character,  and  enlarge- 
ment of  heart,  and  increasing  consecration  of  life.  He  sees 
the  blade  shooting  up  into  the  stalk,  and  the  stalk  develop- 
ing into  the  ear,  and  the  ear  filling  and  mellowing  into  ripe- 
ness ;  and  his  heart  is  made  glad  thereby.  But,  alas!  along- 
side of  these  very  cases  he  observes  others  who  are  becom- 
ing more  gross  and  sensual  and  selfish  under  his  ministra- 
tions. His  appeals  seem  only  to  harden  them  into  more 
stolid  insensibility,  or  to  stimulate  them  to  a  hypocrisy  like 
this  of  Ananias,  which  is  sure,  in  the  end,  to  terminate  in  the 
death  of  reputation  and  respectability,  even  as  here  it  re- 
sulted in  the  death  of  the  individual.  I  have  known  two 
men  sit  for  ten  years  side  by  side,  every  Lord's  day,  under  a 
ministry  in  which  both  at  first  took  great  delight ;  but  while 
the  one  became  a  Christian,  and  passed  through  the  Church 
to  the  highest  offices  which  it  was  in  the  power  of  his  fel- 
low-citizens to  bestow  upon  him,  the  other  went  through  hy- 
pocrisy into  intemperance,  and  through  intemperance  into 
a  drunkard's  grave.     The  same  process  is  going  on  among 

*  Phil,  iii.,  i3.  t  2  Cor.ii.,  15,  16. 


230  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

us  here.  What  then?  Shall  the  minister  be  less  faithful? 
Nay,  verily,  for  necessity  is  laid  upon  him,  and  woe  is  unto 
him  if  he  "preach  not  the  Gospel."*  But  let  the  hearers 
beware  ;  for  if,  under  the  proclamation  of  the  truth,  they  do 
not  gradually  approach  nearer  to  the  unselfishness  of  Barna- 
bas, they  must  be  on  the  way  to  the  hypocrisy  of  Ananias. 

We  may  learn,  in  the  second  place,  that  it  is  impossible 
to  combine  the  services  of  God  and  Mammon.  The  one  is 
sin,  the  other  is  holiness ;  the  one  is  selfishness,  the  other  is 
benevolence ;  the  one  has  its  terminus  in  heaven,  the  other 
has  its  destiny  in  hell.  How,  then,  is  it  possible  to  amal- 
gamate the  two  ?  Yet  the  attempt  has  been  often  made,  and 
always  with  the  same  result.  Remember  "  Balaam,  the  son 
of  Bosor,  who  loved  the  wages  of  unrighteousness."  With  a 
conscience  so  scrupulous  that  he  would  not  allow  himself  to 
speak  in  Jehovah's  name  otherwise  than  as  the  Lord  had 
bidden  him,  he  yet  did  not  hesitate  to  take  the  reward  which 
Balak  offered  him  ;  and  after  he  had  predicted  the  glory  and 
perpetuity  of  Israel,  he  lent  himself  to  a  diabolical  plan  to 
corrupt  the  tribes  to  their  destruction,  and  died  upon  the 
field  of  battle,  fighting  against  the  army  of  the  Lord.  There 
was  the  earthly  issue  of  his  attempt !  Remember  also  Ju- 
das, who,  pretending  friendship  for  the  Lord  Jesus,  kissed 
him  only  that  he  might  betray  him,  and  then,  having  re- 
ceived the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  for  which  he  had  covenant- 
ed, he  went  and  hanged  himself  That  was  the  end  of  his 
attempt.  And  you  see  what  it  was  in  this  case  of  Ananias. 
The  determination  to  combine  these  two  services  ends  al- 
ways in  hopeless  and  eternal  failure.  Nay,  the  man  who 
makes  it  becomes  at  length  more  devoted  in  his  allegiance 
to  Mammon  than  ever,  and  draws  down  upon  his  head  a 
more  dreadful  doom. 

*  I  Cor.  ix.,  i6. 


Ananias  and  Sapphira.  231 

Will  you  think  of  all  these  cases,  and  be  wise  in  time  ?  It 
were  easier  to  bring  the  East  and  West  together  than  it  is 
to  combine  these  incompatible  characters ;  yet,  alas !  in  all 
our  churches  there  are  too  many  who  may  be  described  in 
the  words  of  the  German  Horn  as  "having  all  the  desire  in 
the  world  to  build  God  Almighty  a  magnificent  church,  at 
the  same  time,  however,  not  giving  the  devil  any  offense; 
to  whom,  accordingly,  they  set  up  a  neat  little  chapel  close 
by,  where  you  can  offer  him  some  touch  of  sacrifice  at  a 
time,  and  practice  a  quiet  devotion  for  him  without  disturb- 
ance."* But  God  will  have  a  whole  heart  or  none.  He 
will  not  be  contented  with  the  profession  that  you  give  him 
your  undivided  homage,  while  yet  you  retain  some  secret 
sin,  or  some  darling  lust,  or  some  cherished  ambition  in 
some  hidden  recess  of  your  heart.  Either  you  must  pluck 
that  out,  or  that  will  shut  you  out  forever  from  his  presence. 
Surely,  then,  we  shall  sing  with  new  fervor  these  searching 

lines : 

"  The  dearest  idol  I  have  known, 
Whate'er  that  idol  be, 
Help  me  to  tear  it  from  Thy  throne, 
And  worship  only  Thee." 

We  may  learn,  thirdly,  that  it  is  awfully  dangerous  to  allow 
any  one  evil  principle  to  gain  the  mastery  over  us.  You  can 
see  that  clearly  in  the  case  of  a  habit  that  is  partly  physic- 
al and  external,  like  intemperance.  Every  one  understands 
the  drunkard's  slavery ;  but  we  do  not  all  see  that  there  is 
really  a  similar  bondage  in  every  habitual  sin.  "Whoso- 
ever committeth  sin  is  the  slave  of  sin."  Take  such  a  prin- 
ciple, for  example,  as  covetousness ;  and  though  it  may  be- 
gin in  small  things,  it  holds  its  victim  in  as  tight  a  grasp 
as  his  appetite  holds  the  drunkard.     It  keeps  him  from  be- 

*  See  Carlyle's  "  Essay  on  the  State  of  German  Literature." 


232  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

ing  just,  even  to  himself,  and  it  prevents  him  from  being  gen- 
erous to  others.  It  stands  between  the  man  and  his  God, 
and  is,  in  a  word,  his  chosen  good ;  but  at  length,  as  the 
name  "  miser  "  indicates,  when  the  passion  has  thoroughly 
developed  itself,  it  makes  its  victim  utterly  wretched. 

So,  again,  the  love  of  approbation,  when  it  is  suffered  to 
gain  the  ascendency,  absolutely  enchains  the  soul.  The 
question,  "  Is  it  right  ?"  has  to  give  place  to  this  other,  "  How 
will  it  look?"  and  the  temporary  applause  of  men  is  made 
to  count  for  more  than  the  eternal  approbation  of  God.  So 
with  all  other  evil  principles.  Whatever  we  prefer  to  God 
does  in  the  end  enslave  us  in  some  way.  Of  his  service 
alone  can  it  be  said  that  it  is  "perfect  freedom." 

And,  remember,  it  does  not  take  many  such  things  to 
hold  us  fast  to  our  destruction.  One  will  do  it.  A  man 
went,  one  day,  when  the  tide  was  out,  to  gather  sea-plants 
on  the  rocks ;  and,  in  stepping  from  ledge  to  ledge,  his  leg 
slipped  down,  and  became  jammed  in  a  crevice.  He  tried 
to  pull  it  out.  He  shrieked,  he  shouted,  he  prayed  ;  but  all 
in  vain.  By-and-by  the  tide  came  remorselessly  in,  and  rose 
up,  and  up,  and  up,  until  it  flowed  over  him,  and  stifled  his 
last  gurgling  cry.  Yet  he  was  held  only  in  one  place  !  So 
one  secret  bosom  sin  cherished,  one  evil  habit  practiced  out 
of  sight  of  men,  will,  by-and-by,  gain  such  strength  that  it 
will  hold  us  fast  while  the  deluge  of  eternal  judgment  comes 
sweeping  over  us.  "If  thy  hand  offend  thee,  cut  it  off:  it 
is  better  for  thee  to  enter  into  life  maimed,  than  having  two 
hands  to  go  into  hell,  into  the  fire  that  never  shall  be 
quenched."* 

Finally,  we  may  learn  here  that  it  is  vain  to  think  of  de- 
ceiving God.  Ananias  and  his  wife  had  formed  their  plan 
with  care,  and  used  every  precaution  to  escape  discovery. 

*  Mark  ix.,  43. 


Ananias  and  Sapphira. 


233 


But  they  had  not  taken  God  into  account ;  and  so,  at  length, 
they  were  covered  with  confusion,  and  overwhelmed  with 
swift  destruction.  Let  us  be  warned  by  their  exposure  and 
doom,  lest  we,  too,  share  at  last  their  fate.  We  may  deceive 
ourselves ;  we  may  deceive  those  who  are  living  in  the  home 
beside  us ;  we  may  deceive  the  office-bearers  and  members 
of  the  Church  of  Christ ;  but  we  have  not  deceived  God. 
His  eye  has  been  on  us  from  the  beginning,  and  has  searched 
us  through  and  through.  If,  therefore,  we  have  been  living 
a  lie,  he  will  somehow  confront  us  with  the  truth,  and  put  us 
to  "shame  and  everlasting  contempt." 

I  have  somewhere  read  that,  when  one  king  had  been 
vanquished  in  war  by  another,  the  conqueror  offered  terms 
which  were  satisfactory  to  the  conquered  in  every  respect 
save  this  :  that  they  required  him  to  do  public  homage  to 
his  victor.  That,  however,  was  at  length  so  far  modified,  that 
he  was  to  be  permitted  to  render  his  obeisance  in  the  tent 
of  his  rival.  But  when  the  hour  came,  and  he  was  in  the 
very  act  of  doing  homage,  his  enemy,  by  some  machinery 
which  he  had  prepared,  stripped  off  the  canvas  covering,  and 
revealed  him  to  the  gaze  of  both  the  armies  on  his  knees 
before  his  conqueror.  So,  if  we  allow  a  sinful  ambition  or 
an  evil  appetite  to  overmaster  us,  and  think  we  can  save  our- 
selves from  humiliation  by  doing  our  homage  to  it  under  the 
secrecy  of  some  curtained  tent,  we  may  be  sure  that  when 
we  are  in  the  very  act  of  owning  our  allegiance  to  it,  the 
Lord  will  throw  down  the  covering,  and  unveil  our  degrada- 
tion before  the  ej^es  of  men  and  angels.  Is  it  not  written 
that  he  "shall  bring  every  work  into  judgment,  with  every 
secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good,  or  whether  it  be  evil  ?"* 
Hath  he  not  set  "our  secret  sins  in  the  light  of  his  counte- 
nance ?"t     Ah,  who  of  us  can  stand  before  such  a  scrutiny? 

*  Eccles.  xii.,  14.  t  Psa.  xc,  8. 


234  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

Do  we  not  feel,  in  the  light  of  these  truths,  more  than  we 
ever  felt  before,  our  need  of  "  the  redemption  that  is  in 
Christ  Jesus?"  Come,  then,  and  apply  to  him  for  his  cleans- 
ing blood  and  his  renewing  spirit,  that  we  may  obtain  eman- 
cipation from  the  slavery  of  sin,  and  have  "  boldness  in  the 
day  of  judgment." 


XVI. 

BEFORE  THE  COUNCIL  AGAIN, 

Acts  v.,  12-42. 

AFTER  the  healing  of  the  lame  man  at  the  Beautiful 
Gate  of  the  Temple,  it  would  seem  that  Solomon's 
porch*  became  a  stated  place  of  meeting  among  the  primi- 
tive disciples.  I  do  not  suppose  that  all  their  assemblies 
convened  there ;  but  as  the  Christians  at  this  date,  and  for 
some  considerable  time  later,  maintained  their  observance 
of  the  Mosaic  law,  it  would  be  convenient  for  them,  as  they 
went  up  to  the  Temple  at  the  regular  hours  of  prayer,  to 
arrange  for  conferences  with  each  other  at  the  same  times. 
Nor  were  they  at  first  molested ;  for,  although  the  rulers 
threatened  the  apostles  with  violence  if  they  should  continue 
to  preach  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  yet  the  reality  of  the  mira- 
cles which  they  performed,  and  the  boldness  which  they  man- 
ifested, as  well  as  the  attractiveness  of  the  Gospel  which  they 
preached,  attached  to  them  a  great  number  of  followers  from 
among  the  common  people.  The  deaths  of  Ananias  and 
Sapphira,  indeed,  had  produced  a  very  deep  and  solemn  im- 
pression, and  kept  those  who  were  actuated  by  mere  worldly 
motives  from  connecting  themselves  with  the  new  society. 
Still,  the  numbers  of  the  faithful  steadily  increased,  and 
quite  a  new  impetus  was  given  to  the  movement  by  the  de- 
velopment among  the  apostles  of  the  miraculous  gift  of 
healing  with  which  the  Holy  Ghost  had  endowed  them. 

*  Acts  v.,  12. 


236  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

They  cured  all  manner  of  diseases ;  and  such  was  the  ea- 
gerness and  faith  of  the  people,  tha.  "they  brought  out  their 
sick  into  the  streets,  and  laid  them  on  beds  and  couches,  that 
at  the  least  the  shadow  of  Peter  passing  by  might  overshad. 
ow  some  of  them."  Nay,  more :  this  great  opportunity  for 
the  diseased  was  so  talked  of  throughout  the  district  that  a 
multitude  came  "  out  of  the  cities  round  about  unto  Jerusa- 
lem, bringing  sick  folks,  and  them  which  were  vexed  with 
unclean  spirits  ;  and  they  were  healed  every  one." 

After  the  argument  which  I  presented  to  you  in  a  former 
lecture  on  the  possibility  of  miracles,  and  the  nature  of  the 
testimony  which  they  bear  to  the  Gospel,  I  need  not  now 
say  any  thing  on  these  subjects.*  But  as  the  advocates  of 
the  supremacy  of  the  pope  found  something  on  what  is  said 
here  concerning  Peter,  and  as  some  have  supposed  that  this 
reference  to  Peter's  shadow  has  in  it  an  element  of  supersti- 
tion, I  may  make  a  passing  allusion  to  these  matters. 

In  regard  to  the  primacy  of  the  pope,  let  me  frankly  ad- 
mit, what  indeed  is  too  patent  to  be  denied,  that  Peter  did 
occupy  the  foremost  place  in  the  Church  at  this  time,  and 
that  this  was  in  fulfillment  of  the  promise  which  the  Lord 
had  made  to  him.  But  what  that  has  to  do  with  the  suprem- 
acy of  the  pope,  or  on  what  grounds  the  Bishop  of  Rome  can 
be  regarded  as  the  successor  of  Peter  and  the  inheritor  of 
his  priority,  I  am  unable  to  discover.  The  argument  of  the 
Papacy  here  may  be  reduced  to  a  syllogism,  thus  :  the  Apos- 
tle Peter  was  the  first  of  the  apostles  in  the  primitive  Church; 
the  Bishop  of  Rome  succeeded  to  the  place  and  power  of 
Peter ;  therefore  the  Bishop  of  Rome  is  the  primate  of  the 
Church.  Now,  the  major  premise  of  that  argument  must  be 
admitted  to  be  in  some  sense  true,  and  Protestants  only 
weaken  their  cause  when  they  cavil  at  or  deny  its  truth ; 

*  See  ante,  p.  189. 


Before  the  Council  Again.  237 

for,  as  we  have  seen,  ever  sincq  the  day  of  Pentecost  Peter 
was  the  leader  of  the  di^iciples.  But  the  minor  premise  is  a 
flagrant  assumption.  It  takes  for  granted  that  the  apostles 
could  have  successors  ;  it  assumes  that  the  Bishop  of  Rome 
was  the  successor  of  Peter,  and  that  the  prerogatives  which 
were  bestowed  upon  that  apostle  as  a  reward  for  his  noble 
confession  of  his  Lord  must  descend  to  the  holders  of  a  cer- 
tain office  altogether  independently  of  their  character  and 
conduct.  Of  these  things  no  sort  of  proof  worthy  of  the 
name  is  offered,  and,  what  is  more,  no  proof  whatever  can 
be  given.  Therefore,  the  argument,  as  a  whole,  is  a  failure. 
But  while  we  admit  the  primacy  of  Peter  at  this  time,  it 
would  appear  that  it  was  not  intended  that  he  should  con- 
tinue to  retain  pre-eminence ;  for  at  a  later  date  we  shall 
find  James  in  the  presidential  chair  at  the  Council  of  Je- 
rusalem, while  Peter  speaks  as  an  ordinary  member;  nay, 
more,  we  shall  discover  that  Peter's  advice  was  declined, 
while  the  suggestion  of  James  was  accepted. 

Farther,  if  it  be  supposed  that  the  reference  to  Peter's 
shadow  here  sets  him  on  a  pedestal  above  the  others,  then 
the  reply  is  easy ;  for,  in  the  first  place,  the  healing  power 
resided  neither  in  Peter  nor  in  his  shadow,  but  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ ;  and,  in  the  second  place,  similar  miracles  were 
afterward  performed  through  the  media  of  handkerchiefs  and 
aprons  that  had  been  in  contact  with  Paul* 

But  some  ask,  in  astonishment,  "  Was  not  all  this  super- 
stition ?"  To  which  I  reply  that  it  would  have  been  so,  if  the 
minds  of  the  applicants  had  rested  simply,  and  only,  on  the 
shadow.  But  they  came  to  be  cured,  not  by  the  shadow  in 
itself,  nor  by  Peter  himself,  but  by  the  Lord.  Hence  they 
were  exercising  faith,  sincere  and  strong  as -hers  who  stole 
behind  the  Lord  himself,  and  said  within  herself,  "  If  I  may 

*  Acts  xix.,  II,  12. 


238  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

but  touch  his  garment,  I  shall  be  whole."*  The  great  thing 
was,  that  they  who  sought  a  cure  were  looking  to  Christ  for 
it  j  and  when  they  were  doing  that,  and  recognized  that  the 
power  of  healing  lay  in  him  alone,  it  was  a  matter  of  indif- 
ference through  what  means  they  sought  it.  If  the  Lord 
were  pleased  to  act,  he  could  do  so  through  any  sort  of  in- 
strumentality. All  methods  adopted  by  him  were  only  signs. 
A  word,  a  touch,  a  shadow— each  ahke — was  but  a  symbol 
designed  to  help  the  faith  of  the  applicant,  and  to  meet 
his  individual  necessity.  There  was  no  virtue  in  it;  that 
came  out  of  Christ.  Thus  regarded,  therefore,  the  act  of 
those  who  sought  that  only  the  shadow  of  Peter  might  fall 
upon  their  sick  rises  almost  to  the  height  of  the  faith  of  him 
who  said  to  Jesus,  "  I  am  not  worthy  that  thou  shouldest 
come  under  my  roof:  but  speak  the  word  only,  and  my  serv- 
ant shall  be  healed  ;"  and  of  which  the  Lord  said,  "  I  have 
not  found  so  great  faith,  no,  not  in  Israel."t 

These  miracles  attracted  still  greater  attention  to  the 
apostles  and  their  message.  They  had  larger  audiences  to 
address,  and  much  success  accompanied  their  preaching,  so 
that  multitudes,  "both  of  men  and  women,  were  added  to 
the  Lord." 

It  is  a  little  remarkable  that  this  is  the  first  express  no- 
tice we  have  of  female  membership  in  the  Christian  Church. 
We  know  that  during  the  days  of  his  public  ministry  many 
Galilean  women  distinguished  themselves  by  their  kindness 
to  the  Lord,  and  we  can  never  forget  that  those  who  were 
the  last  to  leave  his  remains  in  the  sepulchre,  and  the  first 
to  greet  him  on  the  morning  of  his  resurrection,  were  wom- 
en. So,  too,  there  were  women  in  the  upper  room,  and  there 
must  have  been  many  among  the  converts  on  Pentecost  and 
afterward  ;  for  Sapphira  was  not  the  solitary  representative 

*  Matt,  ix.,  21.  t  Matt,  viii.,  8,  10. 


Before  the  Council  Again.  239 

of  her  sex:  but  here  first  it  is  plainly  asserted  that  females 
were  received  into  the  Church. 

Perhaps  the  very  mention  of  Sapphira's  name  in  connec- 
tion with  her  sin  may  have  suggested  to  the  historian  the 
importance  of  specially  recording  this  noteworthy  fact ;  and 
we  may  not  pass  it  by  in  silence,  for  the  Gospel  alone  has 
been  just  to  woman.  All  other  religions  have  more  or  less 
debased  her,  and  made  her  the  slave  of  man.  The  savages 
of  the  East  and  the  West  have  been  alike  in  this,  that  they 
have  driven  the  weakest  to  the  wall ;  and  she  who  was  in- 
tended to  be  the  helpmeet  of  her  husband,  sharing  all  his 
cares,  doubling  all  his  joys,  and  throwing  a  halo  of  glory 
round  his  home,  has  been  trampled  under  the  hoof  of  cruel- 
ty, or  branded  with  the  mark  of  violence,  or  treated  as  an  in- 
ferior being.  But  the  Gospel  has  recognized  her  true  posi- 
tion, and  has  educated  her  to  fill  it ;  for  in  the  highest  of  all 
earthly  fellowship — that  of  the  Christian  Church — she  stands 
by  the  side  of  man.  "In  Christ  Jesus  there  is  neither  male 
nor  female."  Thus  the  Gospel  has  given  dignity  to  woman- 
hood, and  thereby  it  has  raised  the  whole  tone  and  charac- 
ter of  social  life  j  for,  restored  to  her  rightful  place,  woman 
has  elevated  the  home  with  her,  and  all  within  it,  husband 
and  children  alike,  are  the  happier  for  her  exaltation.  The 
treatment  of  woman  is  everywhere  the  true  gauge  of  religion 
and  civilization ;  and  she  is  then  only  in  her  proper  place 
when  she  is  neither  the  drudge  of  oppression,  the  idol  of 
chivalry,  nor  the  plaything  of  fashion,  but  the  fellow-Chris- 
tian and  companion  of  her  husband. 

The  increased  stir  made  by  the  apostolic  miracles  and 
successes  roused  anew  the  antagonism  of  the  Jewish  rulers, 
who,  determined,  if  possible,  to  put  an  end  to  the  whole  en- 
terprise, apprehended  the  apostles,  and  put  them  "in  the 
common  prison."  But  he  who  could  work  miracles  by  his 
servants  could  also,  when  it  was  needful,  work  miracles  for 


240  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

them ;  and  during  the  night,  by  the  ministrations  of  an  an- 
gel, he  opened  for  them  the  doors  of  their  dungeon,  and  sent 
them  forth,  saying,  "  Go,  stand,  and  speak  in  the  temple  to 
the  people  all  the  words  of  this  life."  Every  word  in  this 
commission  is  emphatic.  They  were  to  tell  of  life,  spiritual, 
immortal  —  resurrection-life.  They  were  to  tell  of  //lis  life 
as  connected  with  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  They  were  to  tell 
all  the  words  of  it,  keeping  back  nothing  from  regard  either 
to  the  frown  or  the  favor  of  the  multitude.  They  were  to 
tell  of  it  in  the  Temple,  the  place  of  daily  concourse ;  and 
they  were  to  tell  of  it  to  the  people  as  a  whole,  without  re- 
spect to  class  or  caste.  "  To  the  people."  This  is  the  di- 
vine charter  of  Gospel  rights  and  privileges,  and  it  gives 
them,  not  to  any  conclave  of  priests  or  any  order  of  men, 
but  to  the  people.  Wherever,  therefore,  any  measures  are 
adopted  to  keep  them  from  hearing  or  reading  its  "words 
of  life,"  the  great  design  of  the  Lord  Jesus  is  counteracted. 

The  Gospel  rings  the  death-knell  of  all  monopolies,  and 
is  the  pioneer  everywhere  of  popular  liberty,  popular  educa- 
tion, and  popular  progress.  Hence  its  dissemination  among 
the  masses  which  crowd  the  streets  and  lanes  of  our  large 
cities  is  the  one  great  indispensable  thing  for  the  securing  of 
the  prosperity  and  permanence  of  the  nation.  There  is  but 
one  panacea  that  will  heal  our  social  and  political  maladies. 
If  the  habits  of  the  working-people,  as  a  class,  are  intem- 
perate and  improvident ;  if  the  relations  between  employers 
and  employed  are  hostile  and  disagreeable,  breaking  out 
ever  and  anon  into  lock-outs,  on  the  one  hand,  and  strikes 
on  the  other ;  if  the  lobbies  of  our  halls  of  legislation  are 
scenes  of  corruption,  and  enactments  are  bought  and  sold 
for  a  bribe ;  if  scarcely  a  day  elapses  without  the  revelation 
of  some  new  dishonesty  at  which  the  world  stands  aghast ; 
then  there  is  but  one  remedy  for  all  these  evils.  It  is  to  be 
found  in  the  Gospel  of  Christ;  and  the  incidents  of  our  days 


Before  the  Council  Again.  241 

are  saying  to  us,  as  clearly  as  the  angel  said  to  the  liberated 
apostles,  "  Go,  stand  and  speak  to  the  people  all  the  words 
of  this  life."  Multiply  your  agencies  for  the  reaching  of 
those  who  never  enter  a  place  of  worship ;  send  forth  a 
thousand-fold  more  laborers  into  the  dens  and  purlieus  of 
vice  among  us ;  organize  new  efforts  for  the  neglected  rich 
in  the  midst  of  us ;  send  missionaries  into  our  avenues  and 
among  our  legislators,  as  well  as  into  the  low  places  of  the 
city  and  among  our  sailors ;  and,  with  these  efforts  for  their 
good,  do  not  forget  your  own  spiritual  interests.  Thus, 
speaking  of  this  life  to  the  people  as  a  whole,  you  will  begin 
at  the  fountain-head  of  all  evil,  and  at  length  a  virtuous  na- 
tion will  be  the  fruit  of  your  endeavors. 

One  cries  up  education ;  another  speaks  of  temperance ; 
a  third  calls  for  better  houses  for  the  working  -  classes ;  a 
fourth  insists  upon  the  necessity  of  mutual  understanding 
between  capital  and  labor;  and  all  these  things  are  good 
enough  in  themselves.  But  they  are  all  dealing  with  matters 
which  are  themselves  effects.  The  Gospel  alone  touches  the 
one  prolific  cause  by  which  they  have  all  been  produced. 
It  alone,  by  the  grace  of  God,  can  change  the  selfish  nature 
of  men  into  self-sacrificing  benevolence,  and  teach  them  to 
live  in  purity,  in  peace,  in  brotherhood,  in  love.  Here  is  a 
centennial  text  for  us.  It  lies  at  the  very  root  of  our  nation- 
al life ;  and  only  in  so  far  as  we  obey  its  commands  shall 
we  secure  that  "government  of  the  people,  by  the  people, 
and  for  the  people,"  shall  not  disappear  from  the  earth. 
Ring  it  out,  then,  clear  and  loud  ;  obey  it  yourselves,  and  see 
that  others  give  it  good  heed  :  "  Go,  stand  and  speak  to  the 
people  all  the  words  of  this  life." 

Obedient  to  the  angelic  injunction,  they  went  forth  to  do 
their  Master's  work  ;  and  early  in  the  morning  "  they  entered 
into  the  Temple  and  taught."  Much  about  the  same  time 
as  they  went  to  Solomon's  porch,  a  special  meeting  of  the 

II 


242  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

Council  was  convened ;  and  the  first  thing  its  members  did 
was  to  send  to  the  prison  for  the  men  whom  they  supposed 
they  had  so  securely  confined.  Judge  of  their  surprise,  how- 
ever, when  the  officers  returned,  and  said,  "  The  prison  truly 
found  we  shut  with  all  safety,  and  the  keepers  standing  with- 
out before  the  doors  :  but  when  we  had  opened,  we  found 
no  man  within."  They  were  amazed,  and  as  they  were  won- 
dering whereunto  the  thing  would  grow,  another  came  and 
said, "  Behold,  the  men  whom  ye  put  in  prison  are  standing 
in  the  Temple,  and  teaching  the  people.''  This  was  defi- 
ance indeed!  not  to  be  endured  a  moment  longer;  so  the 
captain  and  officers  went  and  brought  them  before  the  Coun- 
cil ;  using  no  violence,  however,  for  the  double  reason  that 
none  was  needed,  and  that  the  people,  if  it  had  been  offered, 
might  have  attempted  a  rescue. 

When  the  apostles  were  set  before  the  Sanhedrim,  the 
high-priest  began  the  proceedings  against  them  by  putting  a 
question  and  making  an  accusation.  He  said,  "  Did  not  we 
straitly  command  you  that  ye  should  not  teach  in  this  name? 
And,  behold,  ye  have  filled  Jerusalem  with  your  doctrine, 
and  intend  to  bring  this  man's  blood  upon  us." 

Mark  how  contemptuously  he  alludes  to  Jesus,  contriving 
all  the  while  to  avoid  the  mention  of  his  name,  as  if,  forsooth, 
the  mere  pronunciation  of  it  would  pollute  his  lips.  "  This 
name;"  "this  man's  blood;"  "your  doctrine."  He  would 
not  contribute  to  the  preservation  of  the  name  of  Jesus  by 
condescending  even  to  utter  it ;  and  now  all  that  is  known 
about  him  is,  that  he  had  the  hardihood  to  resist  the  Lord's 
apostles. 

Observe,  also,  the  admission  which  he  makes  as  to  the 
progress  of  the  Christian  faith :  "  Ye  have  filled  Jerusalem 
with  your  doctrine."  There  may  be  some  rhetorical  exagger- 
ation in  this  mode  of  stating  the  case ;  but  still  it  indicates 
that  already  the  new  society  had  become  formidable  in  the 


Before  the  Council  Again.  243 

eyes  of  the  priesthood,  and  that  it  was  continuing  to  make 
great  advances. 

Observe,  once  more,  the  indications  of  conscience  in  the 
words,  "Ye  intend  to  bring  this  man's  blood  upon  us."  Pe- 
ter had,  indeed,  used  very  strong  and  pointed  language  on 
that  subject.  He  had  not  scrupled  to  charge  the  leaders  of 
the  people  with  being  the  crucifiers  of  Jesus,  and  at  an  ear- 
lier date  the  members  of  the  Council  would  neither  have 
hesitated  nor  blushed  to  own  the  deed.  They  deemed  it  at 
the  time  a  fine  stroke  of  policy,  and  congratulated  themselves 
that  thereby  they  had  got  rid  of  a  troublesome  adversary. 
But  now  that  the  followers  of  the  Nazarene  were  becoming 
so  numerous,  now  that  so  much  was  said  about  the  resurrec- 
tion of  Jesus,  and  so  many  miracles  were  wrought  by  his  fol- 
lowers, they  began  to  feel  uneasy,  and  wished  to  repudiate 
all  connection  with  his  crucifixion,  or  at  least  to  exonerate 
themselves  from  all  blame  for  his  death. 

But  Peter  was  ready  with  his  reply.  He  gave  utterance 
to  the  determination  of  himself  and  his  fellow- apostles  in 
words  which  at  the  same  time  assert  the  important  principle 
of  liberty  of  conscience.  He  said,  "We  ought  to  obey  God 
rather  than  men."  The  rulers  of  the  people  laid  one  set  of 
commands  upon  them.  God  gave  them  injunctions  of  an  op- 
posite character,  and  they  chose  to  obey  God,  and  to  take 
the  consequences  at  the  hands  of  men.  Thus  their  conduct 
here  at  once  explains  and  limits  the  principles  which  they 
have  elsewhere  laid  down  as  to  obedience  to  civil  govern- 
ment. When  Paul,  writing  to  the  Romans,  says,  "  Let  every 
soul  be  subject  to  the  higher  powers,"*  we  must  not  forget 
that  he  was  himself  imprisoned  for  refusing  to  comply  with 
the  demands  of  civil  rulers ;  and  when  Peter  says,  "  Submit 
yourselves  to  every  ordinance  of  man  for  the  Lord's  sake; 

*  Rom.  xiii.,  i. 


244  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

whether  it  be  to  the  king,  as  supreme ;  or  unto  governors,"* 
we  must  bear  in  mind  that  it  was  he  who  uttered  this  noble 
protest,  "  We  ought  to  obey  God  rather  than  men."  It  is 
evident,  therefore,  that  there  are  hmits  within  which  civil 
governments  may  be  obeyed,  and  ought  to  be  obeyed,  but 
beyond  which  they  have  no  jurisdiction.  It  is  right  to  obey 
them  when  that  which  they  enjoin  is  within  the  sphere  of 
government  as  such,  and  when  it  has  been  constitutionally 
enacted ;  but  if  that  which  they  command  is  in  opposition 
to  the  word  of  God,  and  within  a  province  to  which  their 
power  does  not  extend,  we  ought  to  follow  the  example  of 
the  apostles  here,  and  disobey  them,  cheerfully  taking  the 
consequences.  God  alone  is  Lord  of  the  conscience ;  and 
if  any  earthly  usurper  should  attempt  to  invade  that  sacred 
territory,  he  is  to  be  resisted  "even  unto  blood."  This  is  the 
meaning  of  the  stand  here  taken  by  Peter ;  and  the  battle 
commenced  that  day  has  gone  on  through  the  centuries, 

"  Bequeath'd  from  bleeding  sire  to  son, 
Though  baffled  oft,  is  ever  won  ;" 

so  that  now  we  see  this  principle  recognized  and  acted  upon 
by  a  larger  multitude  than  ever  before  upon  the  earth ;  and 
when  we  honor  the  memories  of  those  heroes  to  whom  the 
world  owes  that  religious  freedom  which  is  the  crown  and 
glory  of  civil  liberty,  let  not  the  Apostle  Peter  be  forgotten ! 
But  it  might  have  been  objected  to  the  apostle,  that  he 
was  wrong  in  supposing  that  God  had  given  them  such  com- 
mands, and  so  he  proceeds  to  justify  his  confidence  by  al- 
leging that  God  had  raised  up  Jesus,  whom  they  had  slain, 
and  that  he  had  exalted  him  "  with  his  right  hand  to  be  a 
prince  and  a  Saviour,  for  to  give  repentance  to  Israel,  and 
the  remission  of  sins."     And  lest  they  should  suppose  that 

*  I  Peter  ii.,  13. 


Before  the  Council  Again.  245 

all  this  was  imaginary,  he  affirms  that  it  was  attested,  first,  by 
the  evidence  of  their  own  senses  ;  and,  second,  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  who  had  been  given  by  the  ascended  Jesus  to  all 
them  that  obeyed  him,  and  by  whose  power  their  miracles 
had  been  wrought,  and  their  characters  had  been  formed. 
"  The  whole  remonstrance  is,"  as  Alford  has  said, "  a  perfect 
model  of  concise  and  ready  eloquence,  and  of  unanswerable 
logical  coherence :  and  a  notable  fulfillment  of  the  prom- 
ise, '  It  shall  be  given  you  in  that  same  hour  what  ye  shall 
speak.'  "* 

Thus,  for  the  fourth  time,  we  have  Peter  connecting  the 
Church  of  the  present  on  the  earth  with  the  ascended  Christ, 
as  receiving  from  him  not  only  such  miraculous  gifts  as  those 
with  which  the  early  Christians  were  endowed,  but  also  the 
more  valuable  spiritual  blessings  of  repentance,  forgiveness, 
and  holiness  of  life.  Nothing  is  more  remarkable  to  the 
student  of  this  early  history  than  the  fact  that  Peter  con- 
stantly insists  upon  the  connection  between  the  crucifixion 
of  Christ,  on  the  one  hand,  and  his  resurrection  and  ascen- 
sion on  the  other ;  and  that  he  traces  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  back  through  the  exaltation  to  the  crucifixion.  This 
is  the  Petrine  Gospel,  as  clearly  as  the  doctrine  of  justifica- 
tion by  faith  is  the  Pauline.  The  one  met  the  condition  of 
the  Jewish  mind,  just  as  the  other  was  especially  adapted  to 
the  Gentile ;  but  both  are  true,  and  both  were  held  alike  by 
Peter  and  Paul.  Still,  the  fact  that  each  dwelt  more  upon 
the  one  than  upon  the  other  is  suggestive,  as  hinting  to  us 
that  while  we  must  never  shun  to  declare  to  men  all  the 
counsel  of  God,  there  are  times  and  places  when  the  pres- 
entation of  one  aspect  of  truth  is  more  important  than  that 
of  another. 

The  reply  of  Peter  exasperated  the  members  of  the  Coun- 

*  Matt.  X.,  19.     Alford,  /;/  /oco. 


246  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

cil.  They  were  indeed  "  cut  to  the  heart,"  but  the  sorrow 
was  not  "after  a  godly  sort."  It  was  "the  sorrow  of  the 
world  j"  and  in  their  rage  they  consulted  together  to  put 
them  all  to  death.  But  before  they  came  to  their  decision 
they  were  softened  down  by  the  moderate  counsels  of  one 
of  their  own  number.  This  was  Gamaliel,  the  son  of  Si- 
mon, and  the  celebrated  teacher  of  the  Apostle  Paul.  Accord- 
ing to  Dr.  Ginsburg,  the  modern  Jewish  scholar,  "  the  frag- 
ments which  have  Gamaliel's  name  attached  to  them  "  prove 
"that  he  was  endowed  with  great  intellectual  powers,  a  fond- 
ness for  study,  and  for  definitely  settling  every  point  of  dif- 
ficulty, refined  taste,  and  good  judgment;  that  he  was  hu- 
mane, anxious  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  the  helpless,  a 
strict  Pharisee,  yet  liberal-minded,  and  averse  to  persecute 
those  who  differed  from  him."*  He  did  not  belong  to  the 
sect  of  the  Sadducees,  who  were  the  chief  movers  in  the 
present  attempt  to  silence  the  apostles ;  but  the  estimation 
in  which  he  was  held  by  all  the  people  secured  for  him  an 
attentive  hearing.  He  recommended  his  colleagues  to  be 
cautious,  and  to  wait  a  while  before  they  took  any  violent 
measures.  It  might  be  that  the  new  movement  was  of  God ; 
and  if  so,  they  could  not  put  it  down,  no  matter  what  they 
did.  But  if,  on  the  other  hand,  it  were  not  of  God,  it  would 
very  soon  die  out  of  itself;  as  in  two  other  instances  to 
which  he  referred,  and  which  were  still  fresh  in  their  recol- 
lection, had  actually  been  the  case.  Their  wisest  course, 
therefore,  was  to  let  the  men  alone ;  and  as  at  the  moment 
it  did  not  seem  to  the  Sadducees  that  they  had  any  pretext 
strong  enough  for  taking  cruel  measures,  they  agreed  to  fol- 
low this  advice.  So,  when  they  had  ordered  the  apostles 
to  be  beaten  with  rods,  they  let  them  go ;  but  the  treatment 
which  they  had  received  did  not  damp  the  ardor  of  their 

*  Alexander's  "  Kitto ,"  sub  voce  Gamaliel. 


Before  the  Council  Again.  247 

zeal,  for  "  they  departed  from  the  presence  of  the  Council 
rejoicing  that  they  were  counted  worthy  to  suffer  shame  for 
his  name;  and  daily  in  the  Temple,  and  from  house  to 
house,  they  ceased  not  to  teach  and  to  preach  Jesus  Christ." 
In  this  speech  of  Gamaliel  there  are  two  things  which 
seem  to  call  for  special  remark.  The  first  is,  that  there  is 
an  apparent  discrepancy  between  him  and  Josephus  as  to 
the  insurrection  of  Theudas.  A  person  of  that  name  is 
spoken  of  by  the  Jewish  historian  as  having  headed  an  in- 
surrection ;  but,  then,  the  date  of  his  rising  was  some  years 
subsequent  to  that  of  the  events  which  we  have  now  been 
reviewing.  Hence,  many  would  infer  that  the  account  given 
in  the  Acts  is  erroneous.  But  that  is  far  from  being  a  just 
conclusion  ;  for,  apart  altogether  from  the  consideration  of 
the  question  of  Luke's  inspiration,  Josephus  was  just  as 
likely  to  be  wrong  as  he  was.  Nay,  the  history  of  Josephus, 
as  Alford  remarks,  "  teems  with  inaccuracies ;"  so  that  we 
have  no  right  to  argue  that,  because  he  says  one  thing  and 
Luke  another,  therefore  Luke  must  be  wrong.  Moreover, 
Josephus  himself,  speaking  of  a  time  which  might  very  well 
accord  with  that  referred  to  here,  says,  "  Now  at  this  time 
there  were  ten  thousand  other  disorders  in  Judea,  which 
w^ere  like  tumults,  because  a  great  number  put  themselves 
into  a  warlike  posture,  either  out  of  hopes  of  gain  to  them- 
selves, or  out  of  enmity  to  the  Jews."*  Once  more,  the 
name  Theudas  was  by  no  means  uncommon  ;  and  it  may 
very  well  have  been  that  a  person  called  by  it  may  have 
been  the  leader  of  one  of  those  tumults  to  which,  in  the 
passage  which  I  have  just  quoted,  the  historian  has  referred. 
The  case  of  Judas  is  referred  to  by  Josephus,  and  has  occa- 
sioned no  difficulty ;  and  we  need  not  linger  a  single  mo- 
ment upon  it. 

*  "Antiquities,"  17,  10,4. 


248  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

But  we  can  not  pass  Gamaliel's  advice  in  silence.  It  is 
hardly  necessary  to  say  that  he  was  speaking  his  own  opin- 
ion, and  that  his  words  are  not  an  authoritative  statement. 
For  it  is  not  the  fact  that  human  inventions  in  religious  mat- 
ters always  come  immediately  to  naught.  The  case  of  Mo- 
hammedanism, which  has  held  its  ground  for  nearly  twelve 
centuries,  is  one  in  point ;  and  when  we  remember  that,  we 
can  not  give  unqualified  assent  to  the  rabbi's  assertion. 

Neither,  again,  is  it  invariably  the  fact  that  truth  will  hold 
its  ground  in  the  face  of  error  and  opposition.  The  seat  of 
the  Seven  Churches  of  Asia  is  now  almost  entirely  a  Mo- 
hammedan district,  and  the  Reformation  was  almost  com- 
pletely trodden  out  both  in  Italy  and  Spain.  I  admit,  in- 
deed, that  as  a  broad  law  characterizing  the  administration 
of  the  Divine  government  from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  it 
will  hold  good ;  for,  when  we  look  thus  at  history,  we  can 
fully  indorse  the  words  of  our  own  poet : 

"  Truth  crushed  to  earth  shall  rise  again  : 
The  eternal  years  of  God  are  hers ; 
But  Error,  wounded,  writhes  with  pain, 
And  dies  among  his  worshipers." 

But  as  applied  to  individual  cases  within  even  such  a  range 
as  the  life-time  of  a  man,  it  fails.  Immediate  success  is  thus 
not  an  infallible  evidence  of  truth,  neither  is  the  absence  of 
such  success  a  sure  indication  of  error.  Therefore,  in  set- 
tling the  matter  of  the  soul's  allegiance,  we  have  to  do  with 
other,  and  more  important,  elements  than  that.  We  must 
determine  whether  the  claims  put  forth  in  the  Gospel  are 
convincing  on  such  evidence  as  Peter  put  forth  then  ;  and, 
having  made  the  decision,  we  must  act  "  in  scorn  of  conse- 
quence." Gamaliel's  words  have  been  often  quoted  as  if 
they  had  been  almost  inspired.  But,  indeed,  they  are  far 
from  being  universally  true ;  and  they  read  to  me  more  like 


Before  the  Council  Again.  249 

the  saying  of  a  man  who  wanted  an  excuse  for  doing  noth- 
ing, than  like  the  utterance  of  an  earnest  inquirer  after  truth. 

But  what  shall  we  say  of  his  advice :  "  Refrain  from  these 
men,  and  let  them  alone  ?"  That  was  wise  ;  but  it  was  so 
just  because  it  is  always  wise  to  leave  religious  questions 
untouched  either  by  civil  enactment  or  magisterial  interfer- 
ence. If  a  cause  is  right,  you  can  not  ultimately  kill  it  by 
persecution ;  if  it  is  wrong,  you  will  by  persecution  help  to 
keep  it  alive,  for  you  give  its  adherents  the  glory  of  mar- 
tyrdom. But  whether  right  or  wrong,  so  long  as  a  man's 
devotion  to  his  religion  does  not  interfere  with  the  civil 
rights  and  liberties  of  others,  he  is  to  be  let  alone.  His 
conscience  is  a  sacred  thing,  and  he  has  a  right  to  say  to  all 
civil  governments,  "Hands  off!  that  is  for  my  God,  and  not 
for  you."  But  that  was  precisely  what  Peter  said ;  and  so, 
rightly  viewed,  the  world  owes  far  more  to  the  ringing  notes 
of  Peter  than  to  the  timid,  cautious,  Micawber-like  policy 
which  was  advocated  by  Gamaliel. 

In  reviewing  the  section  of  sacred  history  over  which  we 
have  passed,  let  us  learn,  in  the  first  place,  to  keep  the  con- 
science for  Christ.  All  through  I  have  been  remembering 
the  words  of  John  Bunyan :  when  condemned  to  three 
months'  imprisonment  for  preaching  the  Gospel,  and  told 
that  if  he  did  not  then  promise  to  abstain  from  the  course 
which  he  had  been  pursuing  he  must  be  banished  from  the 
realm,  he  nobly  replied,  "  I  am  at  a  point  with  you  ;  if  I  were 
out  of  prison  again  to-day,  I  would  preach  the  Gospel  again 
to-morrow,  by  the  help  of  God."  Nor  can  I  forget  the  noble 
army  of  those  who,  all  through  the  centuries,  have  sought  to 
obey  God,  even  at  the  forfeit  of  their  liberties  and  lives. 

But  that  is  not  the  department  in  which  our  danger  lies. 
What  we  need  to-day  is  to  keep  conscience  for  God  in  the 
ordinary  affairs  of  life  commonly  called  secular.  Let  us  see 
to  it,  then,  that  in  the  shop  as  well  as  in  the  Church,  on  the 

II* 


250  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

exchange  as  well  as  in  the  ecclesiastical  assembly,  we  act 
out  the  dictates  of  conscience  as  enlightened  by  the  Word 
and  Spirit  of  God.  Say  not,  in  the  cant  phrase  of  multi- 
tudes, that  you  "  can  not  afford  to  keep  a  conscience."  Can 
not  afford  to  keep  a  conscience  !  What !  is  it  then  come  to 
this  ?  Shall  this  divine  faculty  be  weighed  in  the  balance 
with  silver  and  gold?  and  is  the  fear  that  you  may  lose  prof- 
its to  keep  you  from  doing  that  which  you  know  and  feel  to 
be  your  duty?  What  is  gold  compared  with  the  assurance 
that  you  have  done  that  which  God  would  have  you  ?  What 
will  whole  mines  of  wealth  and  whole  burnt-offerings  of  hu- 
man applause  avail  if,  after  all,  you  are  despised  by  yourself, 
and  your  conscience  upbraids  you  with  meanness  and  cor- 
ruption. Rather  would  I  enjoy  a  crust,  in  the  consciousness 
of  unfaltering  allegiance  to  my  God,  than  roll  in  affluence, 
with  remorse  gnawing  at  my  heart ;  and  he  may  well  em- 
brace the  darkness  of  the  dungeon,  or  the  death  of  the  scaf- 
fold, who  is  only  sure  of  having  a  good  God,  a  good  con- 
science, and  a  good  cause.  Whatever,  then,  thy  conscience, 
enlightened  by  God's  Word,  lays  down,  be  sure  thou  follow 
it ;  for  if  thou  canst  not  answer  for  thy  conduct  at  the  bar 
of  conscience,  how  wilt  thou  answer  for  it  at  the  bar  of 
God? 

But  we  may  learn,  in  the  second  place,  that  while  con- 
tending for  conscience'  sake  we  may  expect  to  be  assisted 
by  God.  In  the  case  before  us,  he  sent  his  angel  to  open 
the  prison  doors  for  his  servants,  and  sustained  them  in  giv- 
ing their  testimony  before  the  Council.  Nor  are  these  soli- 
tary instances  of  his  favor.  As  we  shall  see,  Peter  was  sim- 
ilarly delivered  from  the  fury  of  Herod  at  a  later  day ;  and 
we  know  how  Paul  and  Silas  were  at  length  brought  out  of 
the  Philippian  dungeon.  These  were  miraculous  instances, 
no  doubt,  but  things  almost  as  wonderful  have  occurred  in 
God's  ordinary  providence. 


Before  the  Council  Again.  251 

I  have  already  alluded  to  John  Bunyan.  Take  the  fol- 
lowing incident  from  his  life  by  Offor,  prefixed  to  the  col- 
lected edition  of  his  works :  "  He  had  at  times,  while  a 
prisoner,  an  extraordinary  degree  of  liberty :  like  Joseph 
in  Egypt,  some  of  his  jailers  committed  all  to  his  hands. 
There  can  be  little  doubt  but  that  he  went  from  the  prison 
to  preach  in  the  villages  or  woods,  and  at  one  time  went 
to  London  to  visit  his  admiring  friends  ;  but  this  coming  to 
the  ears  of  the  justices,  the  humane  jailer  had  well-nigh  lost 
his  place,  and  for  some  time  he  was  not  permitted  to  look 
out  at  the  door.  When  this  had  worn  off,  he  had  again  the 
opportunity  of  visiting  his  Church  and  preaching  by  stealth. 
It  is  said  that  many  of  the  Baptist  congregations  in  Bedford- 
shire owe  their  origin  to  his  midnight  preaching.  Upon  one 
occasion,  having  been  permitted  to  go  out  and  visit  his  fam- 
ily, with  whom  he  intended  to  spend  the  night,  long  before 
morning  he  felt  so  uneasy  that  at  a  very  late  hour  he  went 
back  to  the  prison.  Information  was  given  to  a  neighbor- 
ing clerical  magistrate  that  there  was  strong  suspicion  of 
Bunyan  having  broken  prison.  At  midnight  he  sent  a  mes- 
senger to  the  jail,  that  he  might  be  a  witness  against  the 
merciful  keeper.  On  his  arrival  he  demanded,  'Are  all  the 
prisoners  safe?'  The  answer  was  'Yes.' — 'Is  John  Bunyan 
safe?'  'Yes.' — 'Let  me  see  him.'  He  was  called  up  and 
confronted  with  the  astonished  witness,  and  all  passed  off 
well.  His  kind-hearted  jailer  said  to  him,  '  You  may  go  out 
when  you  will,  for  you  know  much  better  when  to  return 
than  I  can  tell  you.'  "*  We  do  not  call  that  a  miracle,  yet 
who  shall  dare  to  say  that  an  angel  had  nothing  to  do  with 
it  ?  And  in  any  case  when  we  are  suffering  for  our  adher- 
ence to  God,  we  may  be  sure  that  somehow  he  will  come 
near  us  with  his  help.    If  in  no  other  way,  we  may  rely  upon 

*  "  Works  of  John  Bunyan,"  by  George  Offor,  vol.  ill.,  lix. 


252  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

it  that  he  will  fill  our  hearts  with  joy,  so  that  his  gladness 
will  be  our  strength. 

It  has  been  remarked  of  the  era  of  the  Reformation  in 
Europe,  and  of  the  Covenant  in  Scotland,  that  those  who 
suffered  for  conscience'  sake  were  invariably  full  of  exalted 
assurance  as  to  their  present  acceptance  with  God  and  their 
future  glory  in  heaven.  No  doubts,  or  fears,  or  misgivings 
were  permitted  to  disturb  them.  So  true  it  is  that  "God 
stayeth  his  rough  wind  in  the  day  of  his  east  wind."  If  he 
requires  us  to  endure  in  one  way,  he  will  give  us  enjoyment 
in  another. 

So  let  us  adhere  to  him  at  every  sacrifice.  He  will  be  for 
us,  if  we  will  be  for  him.  And  in  the  end,  whatever  may 
happen,  we  shall  be  "more  than  conquerors  through  him 
that  loved  us."  Give  us  but  the  assurance  of  his  favor,  and 
of  eternal  glory  with  himself  at  last,  and  what  can  be  put 
into  comparison  with  that?  Who  would  not  rather  be  the 
despised  apostle  shivering  in  the  cold,  dark,  damp  Mammer- 
tine,  yet  able  to  say,  "  I  know  whom  I  have  believed,  and 
am  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  keep  what  I  have  commit- 
ted to  him  against  that  day ;  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for 
me  a  crown  of  righteousness  " — than  the  imperial  Nero  on 
his  throne,  hated  by  his  contemporaries,  and  gibbeted  for- 
ever on  the  page  of  history  as  the  monster  of  monarchs  ? 
For  earthly  glory  and  for  heavenly  immortality,  for  peace 
within  and  for  blessedness  above,  the  only  specific  is  loyalty 
to  conscience  and  to  God.  Come,  then,  raise  with  me  again 
the  shout  of  high  resolve  and  holy  consecration  :  "  We  ought 
to  obey  God  rather  than  men ;"  and  by  his  grace,  we  will ! 
we  will ! 


XVII. 

SIMON  MAGUS. 

Acts  viii.,  5-25. 

SINCE  the  second  appearance  of  the  apostles  before  the 
Council,  many  events  fraught  with  important  results 
have  occurred  in  the  infant  society. 

As,  perhaps,  might  have  been  foreseen,  the  distribution  of 
the  benevolent  fund  by  men  who  had  so  many  other  and 
more  exacting  matters  to  attend  to,  led  to  dissatisfaction  on 
the  part  of  some  who  supposed  that,  because  they  were  Jews 
of  foreign  birth,  they  had  been  neglected.  This  difficulty 
was  met  in  the  wisest  manner  by  the  apostles,  who  embraced 
the  opportunity  to  secure  the  election  of  seven  men  who 
should  have  it  for  their  special  business  to  look  after  the 
"daily  ministration."'  Nor  was  the  Church  itself  lacking  in 
prudence  in  the  matter ;  for  as  the  complaint  had  come  from 
the  Hellenistic  Jews,  the  brethren  selected  men  who,  if  we 
may  judge  from  their  names,  were  all  Hellenists,  under  whose 
administration  of  the  fund  the  confidence  of  the  aggrieved 
party  would  be  restored. 

But  though  the  special  duty  of  the  deacons  was  to  attend 
to  the  "serving  of  tables,"  they  were  not  debarred  from 
preaching  the  Gospel ;  and  one  of  their  number,  Stephen  by 
name,  became  very  energetic  and  successful  in  his  discus- 
sions with  the  members  of  several  foreign  synagogues  in  Je- 
rusalem. So  far  as  we  can  gather  from  the  record,  he  was 
the  first  of  the  Christian  converts  who  had  any  clear  antici- 
pation of  the  facts  that  Christianity  was  to  supersede  Juda- 


254  Peter,  the  Ap^^tle. 

ism,  and  to  spread  over  the  earth,  including  in  it  Gentiles  on 
equal  terms  with  Jews.  These  opinions  he  brought  out  in 
the  course  of  his  disputations,  fortifying  them  with  so  much 
argument  taken  from  the  Old  Testament  itself,  that  his  op- 
ponents "  were  not  able  to  resist  the  wisdom  and  the  spirit 
with  which  he  spake." 

But  in  setting  forth  such  views  he  roused  all  Jewish  ex- 
clusiveness  against  him  ;  and,  as  the  result,  he  was  brought 
before  the  Council,  whence,  after  he  had  made  an  address 
replete  with  argument  put  forth  under  the  guise  of  history, 
he  was  taken  out  and  stoned  to  death. 

His  was  a  brief,  bright  record ;  and  we  think  of  him  now 
as  of  a  young  soldier,  the  first  to  fall  on  some  great  battle- 
day  when  truth  and  freedom  are  hanging  on  the  issue.  He 
was  a  hero  before  he  was  a  martyr,  but  the  sanctity  of  the 
cause  in  which  he  suffered  has  embalmed  his  history,  so  that 
to-day  his  name  and  fame  are  as  familiar  as  they  were  to 
those  who  had  seen  his  face  and  listened  to  his  words. 

On  that  memorable  day,  a  youth  was  present  named  Saul 
of  Tarsus,  who  was  in  himself  an  impersonation  of  the  fury 
of  the  persecution,  and  in  his  history  an  illustration  of  the 
indestructibility  of  truth.  He  was  about  the  last  man  there, 
who  would  have  been  supposed  to  have  any  leanings  to  the 
new  religion  ;  yet  before  long  he  became  a  convert,  and, 
taking  up  the  mantle  of  the  ascended  Stephen,  he  received 
a  commission  "  to  preach  among  the  Gentiles  the  unsearch- 
able riches  of  Christ."  Not  yet,  however,  had  he  been  con- 
fronted by  the  Lord  in  the  way.  He  was  now  "breathing 
out  threatenings  and  slaughter  against  the  disciples  of  the 
Lord ;"  and  if  you  multiply  his  fury  a  thousand-fold  or  more, 
you  will  understand  how  it  became  necessary  for  all  the 
prominent  members  of  the  new  society  to  leave  Jerusalem 
for  the  time.  The  Master  himself  said  to  the  first  evangel- 
ists, "  When  they  persecute  you  in  one  city,  flee  ye  into  an- 


S^MON  Magus.  255 

other ;"  so  they  were  scattered  abroad,  and  wherever  they 
went  they  preached  the  Word.  Till  this  time,  indeed,  they 
had  restricted  their  ministrations  to  the  Holy  City ;  and  it 
does  not  appear  that  they  would  have  thought  of  going  else- 
where, had  they  not  been  driven  out  by  persecution.  Thus 
good  is  made  to  come  out  of  evil ;  and  not  seldom  God  uses 
the  cruelties  of  the  ungodly  as  a  scourge  of  small  cords 
wherewith  to  chastise  his  own  people,  and  send  them  forth 
to  the  performance  of  neglected  work. 

One  of  those  thus  driven  from  the  Holy  City  was  Philip, 
the  deacon,  whose  labors  are  specially  particularized  because 
they  prepared  the  way  for  the  admission  of  Gentiles  into 
the  Church.  He  found  a  refuge  in  Samaria  among  that 
peculiar  people  who  were  neither  Jews  nor  Gentiles,  but  oc- 
cupied a  middle  position,  and  dwelt  in  an  isolation  which 
was  owing  as  much  perhaps  to  their  own  self-conceit  as  to 
their  neighbors'  arrogance.  They  were  the  descendants  of 
those  colonists  from  Babylon,  Cuthah,  Hamath,  Ava,  and 
Sepharvaim,  whom  the  King  of  Assyria  planted  in  the  land 
of  Israel  when  he  carried  the  ten  tribes  into  captivity.* 

At  their  first  settlement  these  idolaters  worshiped  their 
own  divinities,  but  afterward,  on  account  of  a  plague  of  lions, 
they  procured  a  Jewish  priest  to  teach  them,  as  they  said, 
"  the  manner  of  the  God  of  the  land  ;"  and  under  his  guid- 
ance they  added  to  their  other  religious  services  the  worship 
of  Jehovah.  As  the  sacred  chronicler  has  put  it,  "  they 
feared  Jehovah,  and  served  their  own  gods."  They  received, 
perhaps  from  their  priestly  teacher,  a  copy  of  the  law  of  Mo- 
ses, and  that  was  the  only  part  of  the  Old  Testament  Script- 
ures which  they,  recognized.  They  had  built  a  temple  on 
Mount  Gerizim,  in  which  they  offered  sacrifices  ;  and  though 
they  observed  the  same  festivals  as  did  the  Jews,  and  ex- 

*  2  Kings  xvii,,  24-34. 


256  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

pected  the  same  Messiah,  yet  from  the  date  when  Nehemiah 
rejected  their  offer  of  alliance  at  the  rebuilding  of  the  wall 
of  Jerusalem,  they  had  been  at  constant  feud  with  their 
neighbors.  But  as  the  Lord  Jesus  himself,  a  few  years  be- 
fore the  events  which  we  are  now  rehearsing,  had  preached 
to  the  inhabitants  of  Sychar,  Philip  felt  warranted  in  pro- 
claiming the  Gospel  to  the  people  of  the  place  in  which  he 
was.  Some,  indeed,  have  supposed  that  the  city  visited  by 
him  at  this  time  was  the  same  as  that  in  which  our  Lord  had 
spent  two  memorable  and  successful  days.  But  though  the 
expression  is  indefinite,  and  may  mean  any  city  of  Samaria, 
the  probability  is  that  the  capital  city  is  intended.  In  any 
case,  the  labors  of  Philip  were  attended  with  signal  results ; 
for  "  the  people  with  one  accord  gave  heed  to  his  words," 
and  what  with  the  gladness  of  those  who  had  found  salva- 
tion for  their  souls,  and  the  gratitude  of  those  whose  bodily 
diseases  had  been  healed  by  his  miracles,  "  there  was  great 
joy  in  that  city." 

Among  those  who  professed  to  be  converted  to  the  faith, 
and  received  baptism  at  his  hands,  was  one  who  belonged  to 
a  class  of  men  who  were  signally,  nay,  even  shamefully,  prev- 
alent in  that  strange  transition  age,  in  which  so  many  ele- 
ments were  seething.  As  Neander  has  admirably  put  it, 
"A  lively,  but  indefinite,  obscure  excitement  of  the  religious 
feeling  always  exposes  men  to  a  variety  of  dangerous  delu- 
sions. This  was  the  case  with  the  Samaritans.  As  at  that 
time,  in  other  parts  of  the  East,  a  similar  indefinite  longing  aft- 
er a  new  communication  from  heaven — an  ominous  restless- 
ness in  the  minds  of  men  such  as  generally  precedes  great 
changes  in  the  history  of  mankind  —  was  diffused  abroad, 
so  this  indistinct  anxiety  did  not  fail  to  lead  astray  and  to 
deceive  many  who  were  not  rightly  prepared  for  it,  while  they 
adopted  a  false  method  of  allaying  it.  A  mixture  of  uncon- 
scious self-deception  and  intentional  falsehood  moved  cer- 


Simon  Magus.  257 

tain  Goetae,  who  with  mystical  ideas,  proceeding  from  an 
amalgamation  of  Jewish,  Oriental,  and  Grecian  elements, 
boasted  of  a  special  connection  with  the  invisible  world,  and 
by  taking  advantage  of  the  occult  powers  of  nature,  and  by 
various  arts  of  conjuration,  excited  the  astonishment  of  cred- 
ulous people,  and  obtained  credit  for  their  boastful  preten- 
sions. To  this  class  of  men  belonged  a  Jewish  or  Samari- 
tan Goes  named  Simon,  who,  by  his  extraordinary  magical 
powers,  so  fascinated  the  people,  that  they  said  he  must  be 
more  than  man ;  that  he  was  the  great  power  which  emana- 
ted from  the  invisible  God  by  which  was  brought  forth  the 
universe,  now  appearing  on  earth  in  a  bodily  form."* 

Before  Philip  had  made  his  appearance  in  Samaria,  this 
man  had  obtained  a  very  large  following.  But  as  he  who 
digs  deepest  gets  the  water  from  the  spring,  so  he  who  deals 
with  the  undermost  necessities  of  humanity  must  always  in 
the  long  run  have  the  allegiance  of  men.  We  can  not  won- 
der, therefore,  that  the  people  laid  aside  the  superficialities 
of  Simon  for  the  satisfying  truths  which  Philip  taught  them ; 
and  it  is  quite  in  keeping  with  the  nature  of  such  a  man  as 
Simon  was,  that  when  he  saw  himself  deserted  he  followed 
the  multitude  to  see  what  he  could  make  thereby. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  things  in  Samaria  when  the 
apostles,  hearing  of  Philip's  work,  sent  Peter  and  John  to 
visit  the  new  converts,  not,  as  I  judge,  because  they  were  in 
any  doubt  of  the  propriety  of  the  course  which  Philip  had 
pursued,  but  rather  in  order  that  these  two  might  bestow 
upon  the  Samaritan  disciples  the  miraculous  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  so  make  them  equal  in  privilege  to  the  brethren 
in  Jerusalem. 

It  is  to  be  remembered  that  in  so  speaking  we  refer  ex- 
clusively to  the  extraordinary  operations  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 

*  Neander's  *'  Planting  and  Training,"  vol.  i.,  pp.  57,  58. 


258  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

consisting  in  gifts  of  healing,  prophecy,  and  the  Hke,  and 
not  at  all  to  the  ordinary  workings  of  his  grace;  for  without 
these  conversion  would  have  been  impossible.  But  these 
were  altogether  independent  of  the  presence  of  the  apostles, 
and  were  enjoyed  by  every  believer;  while  the  miraculous  en- 
dowments were  bestowed  only  by  the  laying-on  of  the  hands 
of  the  apostles.  When,  therefore,  our  Episcopalian  brethren 
refer  to  this  incident  in  primitive  Church  history  in  support 
of  their  service  of  confirmation,  as  if  it  had  here  received 
the  sanction  of  apostolic  authority,  they  are  confounding 
two  things  which  are  entirely  distinct.  It  may  be  right  and 
proper  to  have  some  special  observances  connected  with  the 
reception  of  young  converts  into  the  membership  of  the 
Church,  and  each  society  of  believers  is  at  liberty,  under 
the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  make  its  own  form  for 
that  purpose  ;  but  to  claim  apostolic  authority  for  the  laying- 
on  of  episcopal  hands  on  such  occasions  seems  to  me  both 
unwarranted  and  unwise,  since  it  was  in  their  case  invaria- 
bly accompanied  with  the  communication  of  the  extraordina- 
ry gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  We  have  apostolic  authority  for 
leaving  each  Church  to  its  own  choice  on  all  such  matters ; 
and  so  no  particular  form  should  be  exclusively  set  up,  for, 
in  reference  to  all  these  things,  "  the  Church  of  Christ  is  the 
freest  society  in  the  world." 

In  the  case  before  us,  the  result  of  the  laying-on  of  the 
apostles'  hands  was  that  the  individuals  thus  distinguished 
became  possessed  of  the  power  of  working  miracles  in 
some  form  or  other.  It  does  not  appear  that  Simon  re- 
ceived the  gift ;  but  the  fact  that  Peter  and  John  were  able 
to  communicate  such  energy  to  others  awoke  his  astonish- 
ment and  envy.  He  had  never  really  perceived  the  spiritu- 
ality of  the  Gospel.  He  had  gone  in  with  the  new  move- 
ment merely  to  follow  the  multitude,  and  see  what  he  could 
make  for  himself.     In  his  eyes  all  religious  teachers  were 


Simon  Magus.  259 

alike  impostors ;  for  he  measured  them  all  by  his  own 
standard.  Perhaps  in  his  past  life  he  had  purchased  the 
power  to  perform  many  a  trick  from  poor  practitioners  in 
the  magical  art,  even  as  now  a  professor  of  legerdemain  will 
pay  a  high  price  for  initiation  into  the  mystery  of  some  new 
feat.  And  so,  thinking  that  Peter  stood  on  the  same  plane 
with  himself,  and  was  only  a  more  accomplished  sorcerer 
than  he  was,  he  offered  him  money,  saying,  "Give  me  also 
this  power,  that  on  whomsoever  I  lay  hands,  he  may  receive 
the  Holy  Ghost." 

The  proposal  was  in  the  highest  degree  dishonoring  to 
God.  It  put  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  a  level 
with  the  deceptions  of  men ;  it  proposed  to  make  merchan- 
dise of  that  which  was  the  richest  gift  of  the  Divine  good- 
ness ;  it  wanted  to  turn  to  individual  aggrandizement  that 
special  blessing  which  God  had  bestowed  upon  the  Church 
to  assist  its  progress  in  the  world.  Therefore  Peter  was 
utterly  shocked  by  the  blasphemy  of  the  man,  and  exclaim- 
ed, with  holy  indignation,  "Thy  money  perish  with  thee,  be- 
cause thou  hast  thought  that  the  gift  of  God  may  be  pur- 
chased with  money."  Then,  using  this  opportunity  as  an 
occasion  for  leading  the  man  to  a  full  knowledge  of  himself, 
he  gave  him  to  understand  that,  as  his  action  indicated,  he 
had  no  real  interest  in  Christ  or  his  salvation.  He  used 
great  fervor  of  speech,  saying,  "Thou  hast  neither  part  nor 
lot  in  this  matter :  for  thy  heart  is  not  right  in  the  sight  of 
God  ;"  and,  again,  "I  perceive  that  thou  art  in  the  gall  of 
bitterness^  and  in  the  bond  of  iniquity."  But  as  he  might 
not  yet  be  beyond  all  hope,  he  urged  him  to  repent  of  his 
wickedness,  and  pray  God,  if  perhaps  "the  thought  of  thine 
heart  may  be  forgiven  thee."  This  so  terrified  the  sorcerer 
that  he  cried,  "Pray  ye  to  the  Lord  for  me,  that  none  of  these 
things  which  ye  have  spoken  come  upon  me ;"  and  with  that 
appeal  he  disappears  from  the  sacred  page,  and  we  hear  of 


2  6o  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

him  in  Scripture  no  more.  But  he  is  by  Neander  supposed 
to  be  the  same  person  who,  some  ten  or  fifteen  years  after 
this  date,  is  found  in  the  company  of  Fehx,  the  Roman  proc- 
urator, and  by  whose  immoral  and  deceitful  practices  Dru- 
silla,  the  sister  of  Agrippa,  was  enticed  away  from  her  own 
husband,  Azizus,  and  induced  to  become  the  paramour  of 
Felix.  Irenaeus,  one  of  the  earliest  fathers  of  the  Church, 
has  written  of  him  in  this  manner  :  "  This  man  was  honored 
by  many  as  a  god,  and  taught  that  it  was  he  who  had  ap- 
peared among  the  Jews  as  the  Son,  among  the  Samaritans 
as  the  Father,  and  among  other  nations  as  the  Holy  Ghost ; 
and  that  he  was  the  most  sublime  virtue,  or  Father  of  all,  by 
whatever  name  he  was  known  among  men.  Having  brought 
from  the  city  of  Tyre  an  infamous  woman,  called  Helena,  he 
carried  her  about  with  him,  affirming  that  she  was  the  first 
conception  of  his  mind,  the  mother  of  all  beings,  by  whom 
in  the  beginning  he  formed  angels  and  archangels.  He  per- 
suaded those  who  believed  in  him  and  this  woman  that  they 
might  live  as  they  pleased,  and  so  'his  followers  led  nagitious 
lives,  practiced  magic,  and  adored  the  images  of  Simon  and 
Helena.'  "*  If  all  this  be  true,  then  there  was  no  real  re- 
pentance exercised  by  him,  and  so  he  passes  away  with  the 
doom  of  the  blasphemer  upon  him,  leaving  a  name  which 
lives  only  in  the  designation  of  the  vilest  traffic  which  the 
Church  of  Christ  has  ever  seen,  namely,  the  buying  and  sell- 
ing of  the  sacred  office  of  the  cure  of  souls. 

In  reviewing  this  interesting  chapter  of  primitive  Church 
history,  one  or  two  practical  reflections  are  suggested  to  us. 

We  are  reminded,  for  one  thing,  that  when  God's  people 
neglect  their  duty,  he  finds  means  of  stirring  them  up  to  its 
performance.    Before  his  ascension,  the  Lord  said  to  his  dis- 

*  Iren.  contra  Hasres.,  lib.  i.,  cap.  xx.,  quoted  by  Dick,  in  "  Lectures  on 
the  Acts,"  p.  144. 


Simon  Magus.  261 

ciples,  "  Ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto  me,  both  in  Jerusalem 
and  in  all  Judea,  and  in  Samaria,  and  unto  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth."  But  up  to  this  time  there  is  no  record 
of  any  attempt  to  carry  the  Gospel  outside  of  Jerusalem. 
True,  the  apostles  and  first  preachers  of  the  cross  would 
come  in  contact  with  many  strangers  at  the  three  great  an- 
nual festivals  observed  in  the  Holy  City ;  but  still  that  was 
not  a  full  obedience  of  the  Lord's  command ;  and  it  does 
not  appear  that  in  these  first  years  they  had  formed  any 
plan  for  the  carrying-on  of  missionary  operations  outside  of 
Jerusalem.  But  just  then  the  persecution  arose  about  Ste- 
phen ;  and,  as  the  storm  separates  the  seed  from  its  parent 
stem,  and  carries  it  far  away  to  other  localities,  so  the  as- 
saults of  the  enemies  of  the  faith  were  made  the  means  of 
spreading  it  in  other  places.  We  can  not  but  admire  in  all 
this  the  wisdom  of  the  Lord ;  and  yet  there  is  here  also  a 
lesson  which  ought  never  to  be  forgotten  by  the  members 
of  the  Christian  Church.  Neglect  of  duty  will  surely  bring 
some  sort  of  punishment  in  its  train  ;  and  as  the  Church  is 
designed  to  be  aggressive,  we  may  rely  upon  it,  that  when 
either  home  or  foreign  missionary  effort  is  abated  by  it,  ca- 
lamity of  some  sort  is  at  hand.  Either  a  persecution  will 
arise,  as  in  this  instance,  which  will  scatter  Christians  to  their 
work ;  or  internal  dissensions  will  make  their  appearance, 
and  the  society  which  should  be  the  abode  of  peace  will  be 
rent  asunder  by  strife  and  debate  ;  or  worldliness  will  come 
in  like  a  flood,  and  sweep  away  its  members  into  open  un- 
godliness ;  or  in  some  other  manner  "  the  candlestick  will 
be  removed  out  of  its  place."  The  safety  and  happiness  of 
the  Church  depend  thus,  under  God,  on  its  efficiency  as  an 
aggressive  force  upon  the  world.  Stagnation  is  death.  The 
physical  philosopher  tells  us  that  heat  is  only  a  form  of  mo- 
tion ;  and  the  warmth  of  Christian  love  is  only  one  of  the 
forms  of  Christian  activity.     The  pool  is  very  soon  corrupt, 


262  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

and  becomes  the  home  of  noisy  frogs ;  but  the  river  filters 
y  itself  into  purity  as  it  flows,  and  sings  the  while  a  sweet  song 
in  the  ear  of  God.  So  the  church  that  is  doing  nothing  in 
the  missionary  enterprise,  either  for  those  who  dwell  in  the 
streets  and  lanes  beside  it,  or  for  those  in  other  lands  who 
are  sitting  in  the  region  and  shadow  of  death,  will,  ere  long, 
be  full  of  croakers,  and  all  connected  with  it  will  become  cal- 
lous and  selfish ;  while  that  which  is  constantly  at  work  for 
Christ  and  for  the  world  will  be  a  centre  of  happiness  for  its 
members  and  a  source  of  joy  to  all  around.  Aggression  on 
the  world  is  the  safety-valve  of  the  Church ;  and  when  that 
is  closed  up,  then  look  out  for  an  explosion  ! 

We  are  reminded,  again,  that  the  reception  of  the  Gospel 
invariably  produces  jo3\  What  words  are  these,  "There 
was  great  joy  in  that  city !"  Nor  is  this  a  solitary  instance 
in  which  such  terms  are  employed.  Last  Lord's  day  even- 
ing we  saw  that  the  disciples  actually  rejoiced  that  they  were 
counted  worthy  to  suffer  shame  for  Jesus'  name;  and  if  you 
glance  down  the  chapter  from  which  our  theme  for  to-night 
has  been  taken,  you  will  find  it  recorded  of  the  Ethiopian 
treasurer,  that,  after  he  had  been  baptized  by  Philip,  "  he 
went  on  his  way  rejoicing."  So,  again,  we  read  that  "the 
fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  joy  ;"*  and  Paul  prays  for  his  Roman 
friends  that  the  God  of  hope  might  fill  them  "with  all  joy 
and  peace  in  believing."t  The  Gospel  thus  produces  joy. 
I  know  that  a  different  impression  is  prevalent.  It  is  sup- 
posed by  many  that  religion  is  a  melancholy  thing,  and  that 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ  has  a  tendency  to  make  men  gloomy, 
morose,  and  sad. 

Now,  there  are  two  ways  of  accounting  for  this  erroneous 
view  of  the  matter.  It  is  due,  in  some,  to  the  fact  that  all 
they  know  about  religion  is  conviction  of  sin.     When  they 

*  Gal.  v.,  22.  t  Rom.  xv.,  13. 


Simon  Magus.  263 

think  upon  the  subject  at  all,  they  are  immediately  impressed 
with  their  guilt ;  they  are  filled  with  fear  at  the  mention  of 
God ;  and  trembling  gets  hold  upon  them  when  they  hear 
about  the  final  judgment.  But  that  is  not  the  full  Christian 
experience  ;'  for  the  belief  of  the  Gospel  allays  all  these  fears, 
and  gives  peace  to  the  troubled  soul.  Hence,  they  who  call 
Christianity  a  melancholy  thing  are  judging  of  it  only  from 
those  workings  of  conscience  which  reveal  the  necessity  for 
salvation,  and  which  the  acceptance  of  the  Lord  Jesus  as  a 
Saviour  entirely  removes.  And  the  view  they  take  is  refuted 
by  the  recorded  experiences  of  some  of  its  most  eminent  dis- 
ciples. What,  for  example,  can  be  more  genial  and  joyous 
than  the  home-life  of  Martin  Luther,  as  that  comes  out  in 
his  table-talk  ?  What  an  abode  of  happiness  was  the  house 
of  Thomas  Chalmers !  And  who  that  ever  heard  Thomas 
Guthrie  laugh  could  doubt  the  genuineness  of  his  joy? 
The  mention  of  that  last  name  reminds  me  of  the  fact 
that  the  autobiography  of  Dr.  Guthrie  came  into  my  hands 
at  the  same  time  as  that  of  John  Stuart  Mill.  The  one 
was  the  sunniest,  cheeriest,  mirthfulest  memoir  I  ever  read  ; 
the  other  was  the  darkest,  saddest,  and  most  dismal  w^ork 
it  has  ever  been  my  lot  to  peruse.  To  me  they  were 
typical  instances.  Let  the  one  stand  as  an  illustration 
of  the  fact  that  "true  piety  is  cheerful  as  the  day;"  let 
the  other  indicate  how  cold  and  dark  the  world  of  atheism 
must  be. 

But  another  reason  for  the  impression  that  the  Gospel  is 
a  melancholy  thing,  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  many  of 
its  disciples  misrepresent  it,  and  are  morose  and  moody. 
They  go  about  almost  as  if  it  were  a  sin  to  laugh,  and  when 
they  do  allow  themselves  to  give  way  to  mirth,  they  only 
"grin  horribly  a  ghastly  smile."  They  will  always  play  the 
part  of  the  mummy  at  the  feast  table,  and  generally  they 
make  an  opportunity  for  remarking  that  "  we  never  read  of 


264  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

the  Saviour  laughing."  Now,  all  that  is  to  caricature  Chris- 
tianity. The  Gospel  makes  men  earnest,  but  never  misera- 
ble ;  and  there  are  few  things  which  do  more  to  attract  dis- 
ciples than  the  manifestation  of  cheerfulness.  "The  joy  of 
the  Lord  "  is  the  Christian's  strength,  and  when  that  joy  is 
seen  by  others  it  commends  the  Gospel  to  their  acceptance. 
Why,  then,  should  we  not  be  joyous?  Who  can  better  af- 
ford to  be  cheerful  than  he  whose  sins  are  forgiven,  and  who 
has  the  assurance  that  He  who  sits  upon  the  throne  of  heav- 
en is  his  elder  brother  ?  "  You  seem  a  happy  man,"  said 
one  to  Duncan  Matheson,  the  Scottish  evangelist,  as  he  sat 
singing  in  a  railway-carriage.  "  Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "  I  can 
not  be  but  happy ;  I  am  safe  for  time,  and  safe  for  eternity." 
This  introduction  led  to  further  conversation,  which  ended 
in  Matheson's  being  called  to  preach  at  the  residence  of  the 
gentleman  who  had  thus  accosted  him,  and  it  is  the  testimo- 
ny of  his  biographer  that  his  cheerfulness  was  often  more 
powerful  to  win  souls  than  were  words  of  persuasive  elo- 
quence.* Friends,  let  not  the  lesson  be  lost  upon  us :  if  we 
wish  to  be  happy,  let  us  become  Christians ;  and  if  we  be- 
come Christians,  let  us  be  happy  Christians,  that  so  our  very 
cheerfulness  may  be  a  power  in  the  hands  of  the  Holy  Spir- 
it for  attracting  souls  to  Christ. 

-  We  are  reminded  by  this  history,  further,  that  in  all  times 
of  religious  interest  we  may  expect  to  meet  with  cases  of 
hypocrisy.  Every  revival  has  its  Simon  Magus ;  yet  sad  as 
such  a  fact  is,  that  does  not  dishonor  the  work  as  a  whole. 
You  are  familiar  with  the  saying  that  "hypocrisy  is  the 
homage  which  vice  renders  to  virtue ;"  and  if  the  genuine 
money  had  not  a  certain  value,  there  would  be  no  counter- 
feiters.    So  the  appearance  of  a  hypocrite  in  connection 


*  "  Life  and  Labors  of  Duncan  Matheson,"  by  the  Rev.  John  Mac- 
pherson,  p.  305. 


Simon  Magus.  265 

with  such  a  work  of  grace  as  this  at  Samaria  is  only  an  in- 
cidental corroboration  of  the  genuineness  of  the  movement. 
Now  this  ought  to  comfort  us  when  cases  of  hypocrisy  come 
before  us.  They  are  sad,  exceedingly ;  yet  they  are  only  the 
shadows  cast  by  the  greatness  of  the  Christian  character  as 
a  whole ;  and  when  we  hear  of  such  cases  as  that  which  oc- 
curred the  other  day  at  Boston,  when  one  who  had  been  a 
Methodist  clergyman  for  years  absconded,  after  committing 
a  series  of  the  most  terrible  forgeries,  let  us  not  think  the 
worse  of  Christianity  because  of  them.  The  Christian  relig- 
ion rests  on  Christ,  not  on  any  professed  disciple  of  his ; 
and  when  such  a  catastrophe  occurs,  do  not  suppose  that  the 
foundation  of  the  Church  is  giving  way.  The  only  thing 
which  is  sinking  is  the  foundation  on  which  the  man's  de- 
ception stood.  That  is  all !  He  was  always  resting  on  the 
sand,  and  the  flood  of  covetousness  has  swept  him  away. 
Had  he  been  building  on  the  rock,  it  would  have  been  oth- 
erwise. 

Neither  let  us  imagine  that,  because  a  revival  has  devel- 
oped a  few  hypocrisies,  therefore  it  is  all  a  sham.  After  the 
flood  you  will  see  a  few  dry  sticks  left  high  and  dry  upon 
the  branches  of  the  trees  that  line  the  river's  bank ;  yet  it 
would  be  a  mistake  to  judge  of  the  effects  of  the  flood  by 
them.  These  were  only  the  incidental  accompaniments  of 
it  j  but  the  fertilizing  influences  that  came  from  it,  and  the 
purifying  eflect  it  had  upon  the  city  through  which  it  ran, 
are  things  which  can  not  be  so  easily  discovered.  Yet 
they  are  none  the  less  real  because  of  that.  AVhen,  there- 
fore, our  honored  brethren  begin  their  work  for  God  in  this 
city*  to-morrow,  let  us  not  go  into  it  hunting  for  hypocrites, 
but  rather  desirous  by  every  means  in  our  power  to  turn 

*  The  reference  here  is  to  the  work  of  Mr.  Moody  and  Mr.  Sankey  in 
the  Hippodrome. 

12 


266  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

their  visit  to  tlie  fullest  possible  account  for  Jesus  and  his 
cause. 

Finally,  we  are  reminded  by  this  history  that  they  who 
mock  at  the  mercy  of  God  by  their  hypocrisy  in  such  sea- 
sons of  privilege  are  in  special  danger  of  becoming  aggra- 
vated sinners.  What  a  dreadful  after -history  was  that  of 
Simon  Magus !  and  how  deeply  suggestive  it  is  of  the  fact 
that  it  is  an  awful  thing  for  a  man  to  come  into  direct  and 
immediate  contact  with  Christ  and  his  salvation  !  Either  he 
accepts  that  salvation,  and  passes  on  to  happiness  and  glo- 
ry, or  he  rejects  it,  and  descends  to  still  deeper  degradation 
than  he  had  ever  before  touched.  The  Ethiopian  treasurer, 
after  Philip  preached  Christ  to  him,  "went  on  his  way  re- 
joicing;" but  the  young  man  who  came  to  Jesus,  and  re- 
fused to  do  as  he  commanded,  "went  away  sorrowful."  Ah  ! 
the  pungency  of  that  sorrow  !  A  new  element  of  bitterness 
had  dropped  into  his  heart,  because  a  new  sort  of  guilt  had 
been  incurred  by  him.  So,  here,  Simon  became  a  more  mis- 
erable and  abandoned  wretch  than  ever.  He  asked  Peter's 
prayers  indeed,  but  he  did  not  apparently  pray  for  himself; 
and  thus  he  is  here  in  the  ancient  narrative  held  up  for  a 
warning  to  the  Church  in  every  age.  Let  the  hypocrites 
among  us  learn  the  lesson  for  themselves.  It  is  a  fearful 
thing  to  make  merchandise  of  religion  ;  and  if  you  are  giv- 
ing money  to  the  Church  only  that  she  may  cover  you  with 
respectability  and  give  you  a  fairer  platform  for  the  prose- 
cution of  your  worldly  calling,  you  are  repeating  in  another 
form  the  guilt  of  Simon  here,  and  will  perhaps  at  last  make 
as  dreadful  and  as  disastrous  a  shipwreck  as  he  did.  Re- 
member this :  baptism  will  not  save  you,  for  Simon  Magus 
was  baptized  ;  a  profession  of  Christian  discipleship  will  not 
save  you,  for  Simon  Magus  made  such  a  profession  ;  an  in- 
terested astonishment  at  the  preaching  of  the  Word  and  its 
effects  will  not  save  you,  for  Simon  Magus  "  wondered  be- 


Simon  Magus.  267 

holding  the  miracles  and  signs  which  were  done."  Nothing 
will  save  you  but  that  regeneration,  that  change  of  heart, 
which  Christ  alone  can  produce  by  his  Holy  Spirit.  Rest 
in  nothing  short  of  that ;  and  let  the  story  of  this  ancient 
sorcerer  only  give  greater  emphasis  to  your  prayer,  "  Create 
in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God,  and  renew  a  right  spirit  with- 
in me." 


XVIII. 

ENEAS  AND  DORCAS. 

Acts  ix.,  32-42. 

BETWEEN  the  interview  with  Simon  Magus  and  the  in- 
cidents now  to  be  considered  by  us,  the  sacred  histo- 
rian puts  the  record  of  the  conversion  of  Saul,  who  was  aft- 
erward called  Paul.  That  event  occurred  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Damascus,  from  which  city  the  new  convert  went 
to  Arabia,  whence,  after  spending  probably  some  eighteen 
months,  he  returned  to  Damascus.  There  he  began  to  labor 
with  so  much  enthusiasm  that  the  Jews  took  counsel  to  slay 
him,  and  so,  escaping  by  night  from  the  city,  he  came  again 
to  Jerusalem.  But,  remembering  his  former  bitterness 
against  them,  the  brethren  there  were  afraid  of  him,  imagin- 
ing that  his  profession  of  discipleship  was  a  ruse  for  the 
purpose  of  entrapping  them  in  some  new  snare.  By  the  kind 
offices  of  Barnabas,  however,  he  was  introduced  to  the  apos- 
tles ;  and  when  he  began  to  labor  among  the  Grecians,  dis- 
puting with  them  after  the  manner  of  Stephen,  they  sought 
to  get  rid  of  him  as  they  had  done  of  the  protomartyr.  But 
God  had  more  work  for  him  to  do  in  the  world,  and  he  re- 
ceived a  commission  to  depart  from  the  city,  with  the  assur- 
ance that  he  would  be  sent  among  the  Gentiles.  So  he  went 
to  Tarsus,  there  to  wait  upon  and  watch  for  the  directions  of 
God's  providence. 

Thus,  for  the  first  time,  Peter  and  Paul  met  and  took 
counsel  together.  We  learn  from  Paul's  letter  to  the  Gala- 
tians  that  his  sojourn  in  Jerusalem  on  this  occasion  lasted 


Eneas  and  Dorcas.  269 

only  fifteen  days.*  But  it  was  long  enough  to  give  each  an 
admiration  of  the  other,  and  to  establish  a  cordial  under- 
standing between  them.  At  first,  indeed,  Peter  might  be  re- 
served to  one  who  had  been  so  pronounced  an  adversary, 
and  so  fierce  a  persecutor  of  the  faith.  But  his  was  not  a 
nature  to  harbor  suspicion ;  and  when  he  saw  what  Paul  real- 
ly was,  he  would  give  him  all  his  heart.  He  would  hear  the 
wondrous  story  of  Paul's  conversion,  and,  as  seems  likely 
also,  the  account  of  his  appointment  to  the  apostleship,  and 
of  the  revelations  which  he  had  received  directly  and  imme- 
diately from  the  Lord,  while  Paul  would  learn  of  Peter's  po- 
sition in  the  Church,  and  of  the  work  which  had  been  spread- 
ing through  Judea  and  Samaria.  We  wonder  if  at  this  time 
either  of  these  men  had  any  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  work 
in  which  they  were  both  engaged,  or  of  the  great  things  which 
they  were  both  to  do  and  to  suffer  for  Christ's  name's  sake. 
This,  at  least,  we  do  know,  that  the  world  around  them  was 
altogether  unconscious  of  their  pre-eminence.  How  true  it  is, 
that  the  greatest  ones  that  have  ever  lived  were  hardly  recog- 
nized at  all  by  their  contemporaries  !  At  Jerusalem,  in  those 
days,  if  it  had  been  asked  whose  name  was  most  likely  to  be 
remembered  in  history,  some  would  have  specified  Gamaliel, 
and  some  perhaps  would  have  named  Annas,  the  high-priest ; 
but  now  the  one  is  principally  remembered  as  the  early  in- 
structor of  Paul,  and  the  other  as  the  persecutor  of  Peter. 
So,  to-day,  the  men  who  will  live  in  history  are  not  to  be 
sought  for  in  our  senates,  or  among  those  whose  names  are 
at  present  most  loudly  trumpeted  by  the  heralds  of  fame.  It 
.will  turn  out  at  last  that  they  have  been  obscurely  toiling 
in  the  midst  of  us,  hardly  acknowledged  by  the  leaders  of 
society,  and  accounted,  perhaps,  even  by  those  who  knew 
them,  fanatical  and  foolish. 

*  Gal.  i.,  18. 


270  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

Immediately  after  mentioning  the  fact  that  Saul  had  re- 
tired to  Tarsus,  the  historian  says,  "  Then  had  the  churches 
rest  throughout  all  Judea,  Galilee,  and  Samaria,  and  were  ed- 
ified :  and  walking  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  in  the  comfort 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  were  multiplied  ;"  and  it  has  been  sup- 
posed by  some  that  the  cessation  of  persecution  was  caused 
by  the  conversion  of  Saul.  That,  however,  is  to  give  Paul  a 
prominence  which  did  not  belong  to  him.  His  conversion 
had  really  occurred  two  years  before  ;  and  if  it  had  been  the 
cause  of  the  churches'  rest,  the  description  of  it  would  have 
been  connected  with  his  first  departure  from  Jerusalem. 
The  true  account  of  the  matter  seems  to  be  that  the  Jews 
were  at  this  time  so  much  engrossed  with  other  affairs,  that 
they  had  no  leisure  to  persecute  the  followers  of  Jesus.  For 
we  have  come  now  to  about  the  date  a.d.  39,  which  puts  us 
in  the  reign  of  Caius  Caesar,  commonly  called  Caligula ;  and 
Josephus  tells  us  that  he  had  claimed  divine  honors,  and 
had  ordered  Petronius  to  set  up  his  statue  in  the  Temple  of 
Jerusalem.  This  naturally  raised  a  terrible  commotion  not 
only  in  the  city,  but  throughout  the  land ;  and  in  their  anx- 
iety to  keep  the  holy  place  from  defilement,  the  people  lost 
for  the  moment  all  interest  in  the  movements  of  the  disci- 
ples of  Christ.  But  when,  through  the  intercession  of  Herod 
Agrippa,  the  order  of  Caligula  had  been  rescinded,  and 
Claudius  had  succeeded  to  the  imperial  throne,  we  shall  see 
that  the  persecution  broke  out  anew. 

Meanwhile,  however,  there  was  an  interval  of  tranquillity, 
and  a  change  of  circumstances  brought  with  it  for  Peter  a 
change  of  work.  While  the  storm  is  raging,  the  mariner's 
chief  attention  is  given  to  the  safety  of  the  ship,  and  the  post 
of  the  officer  is  on  the  deck ;  but  when  the  wind  has  gone 
down,  he  can  go  below  and  make  minute  examination  of  the 
cargo  and  the  hull,  and  do  any  thing  which  may  be  needed 
in  the  hold.     So  while  persecution  was  hot  at  Jerusalem, 


Eneas  and  Dorcas.  271 

Peter's  place  was  at  Jerusalem  ;  but  when  an  interval  of  re- 
lief was  enjo37ed,  he  took  the  opportunity  of  making  an  ap- 
ostolic visitation  of  the  different  churches  which  had  been 
founded  in  Palestine. 

We  have  no  account  of  the  planting  of  these  churches. 
We  can  not  tell  whether  they  were  all  founded  by  such 
missionary  journeys  as  that  of  Philip  to  Samaria,  or  wheth- 
er they  owed  their  beginning  to  the  labors  of  some  ear- 
nest believers,  who,  having  been  converted  at  Jerusalem  on 
the  occasion  of  some  festival,  returned  to  their  places  of 
abode,  bearing  with  them  the  good  seed  of  the  Word.  All 
we  know  is,  that  churches  were  already  in  existence  in  each 
of  the  three  districts  into  which  Palestine  was  divided. 

Now  let  us  pause  a  moment  to  take  in  the  full  significance 
of  such  a  fact.  Recollect  that  we  stand  at  about  the  year 
39  or  40  of  the  Christian  era ;  but  as  Christ  was  born,  as 
all  are  now  agreed,  four  years  before  the  commencement  of 
the  era  which  has  been  called  by  his  name,  and  as  his  cru- 
cifixion occurred  when  he  was  thirty-three  years  of  age,  this 
would  make  his  death  fall  in  the  year  a.d.  29.  We  are  here, 
therefore,  at  a  point  ten  years  subsequent  to  the  death  and 
resurrection  of  Christ,  and  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
In  that  decade  thousands  were  converted  at  Jerusalem,  and 
these  churches  in  Galilee,  Samaria,  and  Judea  came  into  ex- 
istence. 

Now,  if  we  were  right  in  inferring  from  the  statement  of 
the  historian  which  we  considered  in  our  last  lecture,  that 
the  disciples  in  Jerusalem  had  largely  neglected  missionary 
work  outside  of  that  city,  until  by  persecution  they  were 
driven  to  perform  it,  then  it  will  follow  that  the  greater 
part  of  this  progress  was  made  in  about  three  years.  For 
seven  years  the  efforts  of  the  apostles  centred  in  Jerusalem  ; 
for  the  next  three  years  many  of  their  disciples  went  ev- 
erywhere preaching  the  Word,  and  as  the  result  behold  these 


2  72  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

churches  !  Here,  then,  in  the  very  neighborhood  where  the 
facts  to  which  they  testified  were  said  to  have  occurred,  the 
first  and  greatest  successes  of  the  preachers  of  the  Gospel 
were  achieved.  In  the  very  locality  where  their  falsehoods, 
if  they  had  been  falsehoods,  could  have  been  most  easily 
detected,  they  made  their  first  converts,  and  that  not  by 
twos  or  threes,  but  by  thousands.  Nay,  more ;  in  the  face 
of  bitterest  opposition  and  fiercest  persecution,  these  suc- 
cesses were  achieved  by  men  who  had  no  world-power  at 
their  command,  and  who  were  unlearned  and  ignorant. 
How  shall  we  account  for  all  this  on  any  other  supposition 
than  that  the  Gospel  is  true?  Some  tell  us,  indeed,  that 
these  beautiful  biographies  which  we  call  the  Gospels  are 
mainly  mythical  and  legendary,  and  that  they  were  created 
by  the  churches  in  the  first  days  of  their  devotion.  But 
what  created  the  churches  ?  Every  body  admits  that  the 
churches  existed  before  the  books  of  the  New  Testament 
were  written ;  but  what  created  the  churches  ?  What  but 
the  truth  of  those  well-attested  facts  that  Jesus  died  and 
rose  again  from  the  dead  ? 

In  the  course  of  his  journeyings  throughout  all  quarters, 
Peter  came  to  Lydda.  This  was  a  town  situated  within  the 
limits  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  about  nine  miles  east  of  Jop- 
pa,  and  on  the  road  between  that  sea-port  and  Jerusalem. 
It  was  called  in  Hebrew  Lod,  or  Lud ;  and  a  few  years  sub- 
sequent to  the  date  of  our  narrative  it  was  burned  by  Gal- 
lus  on  his  march  against  Jerusalem,  but  it  must  have  been 
speedily  rebuilt,  for  we  find  it  under  the  name  of  Diospolis 
in  the  reigns  of  Severus  and  Caracalla.  In  the  sixth  cent- 
ury it  was  the  seat  of  a  bishopric ;  and  here,  according  to 
tradition,  that  George  was  born  of  whom  the  mythical  story 
of  the  dragon  is  told,  and  who  is  styled,  in  the  half-heathen- 
ish parlance  of  many,  the  patron  saint  of  England.  The 
town  is  now  in  ruins,  and  the  tomb  of  St.  George  is  shown, 


Eneas  and  Dorcas.  275 

among  its  attractions,  to  tlie  traveler ;  but  to  me  the  place 
would  be  a  thousand-fold  more  interesting  from  its  associa- 
tion with  this  visit  of  the  Apostle  Peter. 

We  are  not  told  how  long  the  apostle  abode  in  Lydda, 
nor  are  any  particulars  of  his  interviews  with  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  there  preserved  for  us.  The  evangelist 
narrates  only  one  outstanding  miracle  which  was  wrought 
through  his  instrumentality.  He  found  in  the  city  a  poor 
paralytic  named  Eneas,  who  had  been  for  eight  years  suf- 
fering from  the  palsy,  and  he  raised  him  from  his  couch. 
The  history  is  exceedingly  brief,  and  many  points  concern- 
ing which  we  should  have  liked  information  are  left  in  dark- 
ness. Thus  we  could  have  wished  to  ask,  whether  this  man 
was  a  Christian  before  Peter's  visit — whether  he  had  him- 
self requested  to  be  healed  —  how  Peter  was  brought  into 
contact  with  him — and  what,  generally,  were  the  surround- 
ings of  the  miracle?  But  all  such  inquiries  are  vain.  We 
know  only  that  Eneas  had  lain  in  helplessness  for  eight 
years.  Eight  years  !  Ah  !  how  much  we  have  to  be  thank- 
ful for  in  continued  health  and  strength,  and  how  little  we 
think  of  these  blessings  until  we  have  lost  them !  What 
weary  days  and  nights  he  must  have  had !  And  as  they  told 
him  of  the  lame  man  who  had  been  healed  at  the  gate  of  the 
Temple,  and  of  the  sick  ones  who  had  been  cured  as  the 
shadow  of  Peter  fell  on  them,  while  he  was  passing  on  the 
street,  how  he  must  have  longed  to  see  the  great  apostle ! 
But  now  Peter  had  come  to  his  own  chamber ;  and  as  his 
eyes  rested  on  the  loving  face  of  the  man  of  God,  he  felt 
that  now,  indeed,  he  was  about  to  be  delivered,  not  by  the 
death  which  he  had  been  so  long  anticipating,  but  by  the 
return  of  that  health  which  he  had  lost  so  many  years  be- 
fore. Peter  said  to  him,  "  Eneas,  Jesus  Christ  maketh  thee 
whole."  What  simple  words  are  these !  yet  who  can  tell 
what  the  feelings  of  Eneas  were  as  he  listened  !     He  knew 


2  74  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

that  strength  was  passing  into  him.  He  felt  a  tingling  life 
in  those  limbs  which  had  been  paralyzed  so  long ;  a  strange 
sensation  ran  along  his  nerves ;  and  ere  Peter  had  finished 
the  command,  "Arise,  and  make  thy  bed,"  he  was  able  to 
obey  it,  and  rose  at  once  to  fold  up  his  couch.  A  wonder ! 
and  yet  not  a  wonder.  A  wonder  when  we  look  at  Peter, 
the  human  instrument;  but  no  wonder  at  all  when  we  think 
of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Divine  agent.  It  is  divine  power  that 
works  in  daily  order,  and  divine  choice  can  alter  that  order 
in  an  individual  instance.  Hence,  let  but  the  Deity  of  Jesus 
Christ  be  granted,  and  the  whole  matter  is  explained. 

So  felt,  and  so  reasoned,  the  inhabitants  of  the  town,  and 
of  the  entire  district  of  Saron  that  lay  between  it  and  Joppa; 
for  when  they  saw  the  man  whom  Christ  had  healed,  they 
turned  unto  the  Lord.  They  were  convinced  of  his  Divinity 
and  Messiahship,  and  they  received  as  the  Gospel  to  them- 
selves, taking  them  only  in  a  spiritual  sense,  the  words  which 
Peter  spake  to  Eneas,  "Jesus  Christ  maketh  thee  whole." 
Ho !  sinner,  I  say  the  same  to  thee  to-night.  Paralyzed  as 
thou  art  by  sin  ;  unable  to  help  thyself;  feeling  thyself  im- 
potent in  the  grasp  of  thine  own  lusts,  this  is  my  message 
unto  thee,  "Jesus  Christ  maketh  thee  whole."  Arise,  then! 
Shake  off  thy  weakness,  snap  asunder  the  bonds  by  which 
thy  sins  have  held  thee  fast,  and  walk  forth  in  the  health  of 
soul  which  Jesus  only  can  confer.  All  that  is  needed  on  thy 
part  is  the  believing  ear  and  the  willing  heart.  With  these, 
thou  mayst  be^  delivered  now ;  without  these,  thou  canst  be 
delivered  never. 

While  the  apostle  abode  at  Lydda,  a  message  came  to  him 
from  the  brethren  at  Joppa  desiring  his  immediate  presence 
there.  This  place,  now  called  Jaffa,  is  one  of  the  oldest 
towns  in  Asia,  and  is  situated  on  a  sandy  promontory  jutting 
out  into  the  Mediterranean  between  Cesarea  and  Gaza,  and 
at  a  distance  of  thirty  miles  north-west  of  Jerusalem.    Three 


Eneas  and  Dorcas. 


275 


of  its  sides  are  washed  by  the  sea.  It  was,  and  still  is,  the 
chief  port  of  Judea,  and  at  one  time  and  another  has  had 
considerable  commercial  importance.  The  modern  city  is 
surrounded  by  a  wall,  and  has  from  four  to  five  thousand  in- 
habitants. One  of  its  houses, is  still  pointed  out  as  that  of 
Simon  the  tanner ;  and  whether  we  accept  the  statement  or 
not,  the  fact  that  on  a  house-top  somewhere  in  that  city  the 
apostle  ascended  to  pray,  and  saw  that  remarkable  vision 
which  not  only  reconciled  him  to  the  admission  of  Gentiles 
into  the  Church,  but  also  brought  him  to  feel  that  the  glory 
of  God  was  to  be  pre-eminently  promoted  thereby,  gives  this 
city  an  interest  to  us  Gentiles  which  is  second  only  to  that 
belonging  to  the  place  on  which  Saul  of  Tarsus  was  convert- 
ed to  the  faith. 

The  occasion  of  Peter's  summons  to  Joppa  at  this  time 
was  the  death  of  a  disciple  who  was  greatly  beloved  for  her 
character  and  kindness.  Her  name  was,  in  the  Syro-Chal- 
daic  tongue,  Tabitha,  and  in  the  Greek,  Dorcas,  both  mean- 
ing "gazelle;"  and,  so  far  as  appears,  she  was  either  a 
widow  or  an  unmarried  woman,  who  devoted  her  energies 
to  the  service  of  Christ  in  helping  the  poor  and  needy.  She 
is  described  as  being  "full  of  good  works  and  alms-deeds 
which  she  did."  Observe,  it  is  said,  "good  works,"  and  not 
simply  "good  words."  We  are  told,  indeed,  that  "Good 
words  are  worth  much,  and  cost  little ;"  but  there  are  some 
good  words  that  are  worth  very  little  indeed.  There  is 
among  many  a  saying,  "  Be  ye  warmed,  and  be  ye  filled," 
while  those  things  which  are  needful  for  the  body  are  not 
given,  and  it  is  in  such  cases  abundantly  plain  that  the 
expressions  are  worthless.  There  was  no  such  hypocrisy, 
however,  about  Dorcas.  It  is  particularly  noted  that  she 
was  "full  of  good  works."  Let  those  among  us  who  may 
be  in  danger  of  letting  our  sympathy  evaporate  in  empty 
phrases  take  a  lesson  from  that  statement,  and  henceforth 


276  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

speak  principally  in  actions ;  for  that  only  is  true  compas- 
sion which  exerts  itself  for  the  relief  of  others  ;  and, 

"  A  man  of  words,  and  not  of  deeds, 
Is  like  a  garden  full  of  weeds." 

It  is  added  that  Dorcas  was  "  full  of  alms-deeds  which  she 
did  ;"  and,  from  the  description  which  is  here  given,  we  dis- 
cover that  hers  was  not  the  cheap  kindness  of  giving  money 
merely,  but  that  she  actually  wrought  with  her  own  hands 
for  the  help  of  the  needy.  It  is  important  to  note  that  fact, 
because  in  these  days  there  are  many  who  look  upon  the 
giving  of  a  subscription  to  some  society  as  all  that  is  re- 
quired of  them ;  while  there  are  others  who,  because  they  can 
not  give  such  a  donation,  imagine  that  they  can  do  nothing 
at  all.  Now,  so  far  as  the  record  here  goes,  Dorcas  may 
have  been  herself  a  comparatively  poor  woman.  But  wheth- 
er she  was  or  not,  the  important  thing  to  be  observed  is, 
that  she  did  not  give  her  money  in  order  to  buy  herself  off 
from  the  obligation  to  work  for  the  destitute.  But  she  gave 
both  her  money  and  her  work.  No  doubt  societies  are  very 
useful  things.  Indeed,  we  could  never  get  on,  in  grappUng 
with  the  evils  of  our  age,  without  them,  but  they  have  cer- 
tain special  dangers  connected  with  them,  and  against  these 
we  ought  always  to  be  on  our  guard.  Even  such  a  one  as 
Thbmas  Carlyle,  many  years  ago,  in  one  of  his  suggestive 
essays,  pointed  out  that  we  were  in  danger  of  being  contract- 
ed and  injured  by  what  he  called  "machinery"  in  benevo- 
lence. We  have  associations  of  every  sort,  working  like 
moral  machines,  for  the  bringing -about  of  certain  results; 
and  by  subscribing  to  these  we  too  frequently  seek  to  com- 
pound, as  it  were,  for  doing  nothing  in  the  way  of  personal 
service. 

I  admit,  of  course,  that  individual  effort  can  not  do  every 
thing.     And  every  one  can  see  that  by  combination  many, 


Eneas  and  Dorcas.  277 

together,  may  accomplish  more  than  the  same  number  of 
persons,  working  separately,  could  perform.  But,  in  the  car- 
rying-on of  societies,  the  benevolent  person  is  too  common- 
ly cut  off  from  coming  into  actual  contact  and  living  sympa- 
thy with  the  sufferer  who  is  relieved.  A  cold,  perhaps  also 
sometimes  a  gruff,  official  takes  the  place  of  a  generous  ben- 
efactor. 

Now,  this  evil  tells  both  on  the  giver  and  on  the  receiver. 
The  giver  is  deprived,  to  a  large  extent,  of  the  reflex  in- 
fluence that  would  come  back  into  his  own  soul  from  the 
knowledge  of  him  whom  he  relieves ;  and  the  receiver  feels 
none  of  that  holy  and  elevating  power  which  stirs  his  heart 
at  the  touch  of  the  giver's  hand,  and  which  is  valued  by  him 
a  thousand  times  more,  as  indeed  it  is  a  thousand  times  bet- 
ter for  him,  than  the  gift  itself.  Hence,  while  I  would  not 
interfere  with  the  working  of  associations  which,  in  a  large 
city  like  this,  are  positive  necessities,  I  would  have  each 
Christian,  as  far  as  possible,  select  for  himself  some  one  par- 
ticular corner,  however  small — no  matter  though  it  should 
contain  only  one  family — for  whose  benefit  he  specially 
works  and  prays.  It  is  one  of  the  drawbacks  to  congrega- 
tional usefulness  that  we  can  generally,  at  least  in  ordinary 
times,  get  money  more  easily  than  we  can  get  workers.  And 
there  are  some  reasons  for  this  which  must  be  pronounced 
valid,  and,  to  a  good  degree,  satisfactory.  Thus,  in  these 
days,  men's  energies  are  largely  drained  by  business,  and  lit- 
tle time  or  strength  is  left  after  working-hours  for  personal 
benevolent  exertions.  But  that  I  can  regard  only  as  a  great 
misfortune  to  the  individuals  themselves,  while  it  seems  to 
me  to  be  a  source  of  weakness  in  the  Church ;  for  the  fel- 
lowship of  giving  and  receiving  is  one  of  the  greatest  agen- 
cies in  knitting  men  together,  and  one  of  the  strongest  levers 
for  raising  the  fallen  from  their  degradation. 

No  matter,  therefore,  how  small  the  area  you  undertake 


278  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

may  be,  I  would  have  you  select  some  special  department 
to  which  you  give  not  money  merely,  but  yourselves,  and 
in  which  you  seek  to  labor  for  the  welfare,  both  temporal 
and  spiritual,  of  others.  Suppose  every  Christian  here  were 
to  select  but  one  person,  and  to  say,  by  the  help  of  God, 
without  taking  any  thing  from  my  subscriptions  to  good 
and  useful  societies,  I  will  do  my  utmost  that  this  person 
shall  know  through  me  the  power  of  the  Gospel,  and  be 
saved  through  my  instrumentality  from  temporal  suffering 
and  eternal  ruin ;  how  much  good  might  result  both  to  our- 
selves and  to  them  ? 

It  is  just  here,  I  think,  that  the  example  of  Dorcas  is  most 
needed  to-day.  We  do  not  wish  less  energy  in  the  work  of 
associations  and  societies,  but,  along  with  that,  we  do  require 
more  individual  exertion  ;  and  wherever  that  has  been  put 
forth  the  results  have  been  the  happiest  possible. 

A  week  or  two  ago,  on  the  evening  before  the  day  of 
prayer  for  colleges,  the  Christian  students  of  Princeton  Col- 
lege pledged  themselves  at  a  prayer-meeting  to  each  other 
and  to  God,  that  each  of  them  would  speak  to  some  one  on 
the  next  day  about  his  soul's  welfare ;  and  out  of  that,  taken 
in  connection  with  other  converging  influences,  has  sprung 
one  of  the  most  genuine  and  extensive  revivals  with  which 
that  institution  has  ever  been  blessed.  Let  us,  both  in  ad- 
ministering temporal  relief  and  in  seeking  to  benefit  men's 
souls,  proceed  on  a  similar  principle,  and  who  may  estimate 
the  effects  that  shall  be  produced  ? 

But  I  must  not  forget  the  history  before  me.  This  excel- 
lent woman  died,  and  the  usual  preparations  for  the  funeral 
were  made ;  but  hoping,  perhaps,  that  she  might  be  given 
back  to  them,  the  mourners  sent  for  Peter,  who,  when  he  came, 
(saw  a  very  singular  sight.  There,  in  the  upper  chamber  of 
Dorcas's  house,  was  a  company  of  weeping  widows,  speaking 
the  praises  of  their  benefactress,  and  showing  the  coats  and 


Eneas  and  Dorcas.  279 

garments  which  she  had  made  for  them.  They  did  not  ask 
that  she  should  be  raised  from  the  dead  ;  but  their  sending 
for  him  and  their  tears  were  even  more  powerful  entreat- 
ies than  their  words  would  have  been  ;  so,  putting  them  all 
forth,  and  kneeling  down  by  the  body,  he  prayed ;  then,  turn- 
ing to  the  corpse,  he  said,  "  Tabitha,  arise !"  and  her  soul 
came  to  her  again.  Then,  taking  her  with  him,  he  presented 
her  alive  to  her  friends,  and  turned  their  mourning  into  joy. 

Here  was  a  miracle  ;  yet,  in  the  manner  of  its  performance 
by  Peter,  much  more  like  the  miracles  of  Elijah  and  Elisha 
than  those  of  Christ ;  for  he,  like  these  ancient  prophets,  was 
a  servant,  while  Jesus  was  the  Lord  from  heaven.  Not  in 
his  own  name,  or  in  his  own  power,  was  this  great  work  ac- 
complished. It  was  wrought  by  Christ  at  his  entreaty,  and 
it  resulted  in  a  great  spiritual  revival ;  for  as  at  Lydda,  so 
now  at  Joppa  many  believed  in  the  Lord. 

I  have  dwelt  so  much  already  on  the  practical  bearing  of 
this  narrative,  and  have  had  so  frequent  occasion  throughout 
these  discourses  to  refer  to  the  miracles  of  Christ  and  his 
apostles,  that  I  need  not  now  advert  to  either  of  these  mat- 
ters. But  as  in  this  chapter,  for  the  first  time,  we  come  upon 
one  of  the  most  significant  names  of  the  Christian  disciples, 
it  may  be  well  to  conclude  our  present  lecture  with  a  brief 
consideration  of  that. 

When  Ananias  was  commanded  by  God  to  visit  Saul  at 
Damascus,  he  said,  "  I  have  heard  by  many  of  this  man,  how 
much  evil  he  hath  done  to  thy  saints  at  Jerusalem."  When 
Peter  went  on  his  apostolic  tour  throughout  all  quarters,  he 
came  tlown  also  to  the  saints  at  Lydda.  And  when  he  had 
raised  Dorcas  from  the  dead,  "he  called  the  saints  and  wid- 
ows, and  presented  her  alive."*  Now,  these  are  the  first  oc- 
casions on  which  this  term  was  employed  to  designate  the 

*  Acts  ix.,  13,32,41. 


28o  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

disciples  of  Christ ;  and  the  very  enumeration  of  them  may 
serve  to  correct  the  mischievous  impressions  which  men 
have  received  regarding  it.  By  some  it  is  exclusively  em- 
ployed to  designate  the  apostles  and  evangelists.  They  al- 
ways say  St.  Paul,  but  they  never  think  of  saying  St.  Abra- 
ham or  St.  Moses.  Others  confer  it  only  on  those  who  have 
a  place  in  the  Romish  calendar,  in  which  truthful  history  is 
obliged  to  confess  that  we  may  find  the  names  alike  of  the 
worthiest  and  of  the  vilest  of  our  race ;  while  others  still 
use  it  in  a  cynical  and  contemptuous  fashion,  to  describe 
those  whose  religiousness  wears  a  crabbed,  gnarled,  and  re- 
pulsive form.  Now,  coming  upon  it  here,  where  it  first  oc- 
curs in  the  history  of  the  Church,  we  learn  to  rectify  all  such 
opinions. 

Its  primary  significance  is — individuals  set  apart  to  the 
service  of  God :  and  as  only  those  who  had  been  ceremoni- 
ously purified  were,  under  the  Jewish  law,  thus  set  apart  to 
God's  service,  the  term  came  to  have  associated  with  it  the 
idea  of  purity.  Thus  it  means  persons  consecrated  to,  and 
purified  for,  the  service  of  God.  Now,  this  consecration 
was,  on  the  one  side  of  it,  the  voluntary  dedication  of  the 
individuals  themselves,  but,  on  the  other,  the  anointing  of 
them  by  God  with  his  Holy  Spirit.  Therefore,  combining 
these  two  things,  we  may  define  saints  as  those  who,  purified 
by  God's  spirit,  have  dedicated  themselves  to  God's  service  ; 
and,  as  thus  explained,  the  name  is  appropriate  to  all  true 
believers  who  are  seeking  to  walk  in  holiness  and  love. 
There  is  no  Scriptural  warrant  for  restricting  it  exclusively 
to  any  persons  as  a  title  of  special  honor,  distinguishing 
them  from  all  other  members  of  the  body  of  Christ.  Paul, 
in  writing  to  the  Christians  at  Rome,  addresses  them  as 
"  called  to  be  saints ;"  and  he  speaks  to  the  Corinthians  as 
*'to  them  that  are  sanctified  in  Christ  Jesus,  called  to  be 
saints."     So  he  begins  his  epistles  to  the  Ephesians,  Phi- 


Eneas  and  Dorcas.  281 

lippians,  and  Colossians  thus :  "  To  the  saints  which  are  at 
Ephesus ;"  "  To  all  the  saints  in  Christ  Jesus  which  are  at 
Philippij"  and  "To  the  saints  and  faithful  brethren  in  Christ 
which  are  at  Colosse."  Every  one,  therefore,  who  has  been 
regenerated  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  is  washed 
from  his  sins  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  who  has  consecrated 
himself  to  the  service  of  the  Lord,  is  a  "saint." 

And,  as  we  see  from  the  narrative  before  me,  taken  in  con- 
nection with  the  passages  to  which  I  have  just  referred,  their 
sainthood  is  to  be  manifested,  not  by  forsaking  the  world  for 
a  conventual  life,  but  by  staying  in  it,  in  the  places  where 
God  has  put  them,  and  seeking  to  benefit  those  who  are 
around  them.  Here  was  Dorcas  among  her  widows  doing 
a  work  for  Christ,  and  she  was  a  saint  indeed.  So,  in  after- 
days,  there  were  saints  in  Caesar's  household  and  in  the  Ro- 
man army ;  men  who,  by  their  earnest  piety,  were  as  pleas- 
ing to  the  Lord  Jesus  in  their  own  callings  as  either  Paul  or 
Peter  was  in  his.  This  is  the  kind  of  sainthood  which  we 
need  to-day.  Show  me  the  man  who  spurns  from  him  every 
bribe  to  do  evil  as  an  insult  offered,  not  merely  to  himself, 
but  to  his  Lord,  and  who  turns  away  from  it  in  memory  of 
the  Redeemer's  cross  ;  show  me  the  merchant  who,  out  of 
regard  to  Jesus,  is  willing  to  lose  money  rather  than  do  a 
dishonest  act ;  show  me  the  mechanic  who  works  on  at 
his  bench,  making  every  article  with  care  and  conscience, 
because  he  is  making  it  for  Christ ;  show  me  the  politician 
who  will  forfeit  even  the  prizes  of  his  party  rather  than  do 
what  he  knows  to  be  against  the  will  of  God  ;  show  me  the 
woman  who  will  brave  the  scorn  of  fashion,  and  the  ridicule 
of  society,  rather  than  yield  to  customs  which  disgrace  her 
womanhood,  and  dishonor  her  Lord  ;  and  in  each  of  these 
I  will  show  you  a  saint  indeed.  Yea,  wherever  a  disciple 
of  Jesus  is  not  ashamed  to  own  and  obey  his  Lord,  though 
an  unbelieving  world  should  taunt  him  as  a  Methodist,  you 


282  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

have  saintliness  of  the  truest  type.  Courage,  then,  my  hear- 
ers :  there  is  hope  for  you  that  you  may  win  the  honor  of 
this  name.  You  may  be  already  nobler  saints  than  any  in 
the  purest  calendar,  for  there  is  a  holiness  in  labor  done  for 
Christ ;  there  is  a  saintliness  in  the  wearing  of  a  constant 
cheerfulness,  when  that  is  felt  to  be  the  reflection  of  the 
Saviour's  smile ;  there  is  a  halo,  brighter  than  ever  artist 
painted,  round  a  mother's  patient  love  for  the  children  whom 
she  has  consecrated  in  baptism  unto  the  Lord ;  there  is  a 
canonization,  more  real  than  ever  pope  decreed,  in  the  fa- 
ther's faithful  toil  as,  week  in,  week  out,  he  goes  about  his 
round  of  labor  that  he  may  support  his  family,  and  bring 
them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord.  And, 
haply,  in  the  day  when  God  makes  up  his  jewels,  it  may  be 
found  that  out  of  the  ranks  of  our  modern  and  ordinary  life, 
commonplace  as  men  may  call  it,  there  have  arisen  more 
Christian  heroes  than  in  the  time  when  the  disciples  sought 
refuge  in  the  Catacombs,  or  when  the  martyrs  burned  at  the 
stake.  It  is  an  easy  thing,  comparatively,  to  die  for  Christ, 
but  it  is  a  hard  thing,  and  a  noble  thing,  to  live  for  him. 
Such  a  life  is  the  highest  sainthood,  and  to  that  I  incite  you 

now. 

"  We  need  not  bid,  for  cloistered  cell, 
Our  neighbors  and  the  world  farewell : 
The  trivial  round,  the  common  task, 
Will  give  us  all  we  ought  to  ask — 
Room  to  deny  ourselves,  a  road 
To  bring  us  daily  nearer  God." 

Follow  that  road  ;  it  is  the  way  of  holiness ;  "  The  un- 
clean shall  not  walk  there ;  and  the  wayfaring  man,  though 
a  fool,  shall  not  err  therein." 


XIX. 

CORNELIUS. 

Acts  x. 

THE  city  of  Cesarea  was  situated  on  the  coast  of  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  about  thirty  miles  north  of  Joppa. 
It  was  built  by  Herod  the  Great,  about  twenty-two  years  be- 
fore the  birth  of  Christ,  and  named  by  him  after  his  imperial 
patron.  It  was  the  civil  and  military  capital  of  Judea  so 
long  as  that  remained  a  Roman  province ;  and  it  had  a  cer- 
tain pre-eminence  belonging  to  it  as  the  residence  of  the 
procurator.  Its  population  was  mainly  Gentile,  though  some 
thousands  of  Jews  dwelt  within  its  walls.  At  this  time  it 
was  garrisoned  by  soldiers,  most  of  whom  were  native  Syr- 
ians ;  but  there  was  one  cohort  composed  of  volunteers 
from  Italy,  and  over  a  division  of  that  there  was  a  certain 
centurion  named  Cornelius,  whose  character  is  very  pleas- 
ingly sketched  by  the  sacred  historian.  He  belonged  to  an 
illustrious  Roman  clan,  which  had  given  to  the  State  some 
of  its  ablest  and  most  distinguished  men  ;  but  greater  than 
the  glory  of  Sulla  and  the  Scipios,  who  had  made  the  Corne- 
lian family  everywhere  renowned,  is  that  which  is  conferred 
on  this  centurion  when  it  is  said  that  "he  was  a  devout 
man,  and  one  that  feared  God  with  all  his  house,  which 
gave  much  alms  to  the  people,  and  prayed  to  God  always." 

These  words  have  been  understood  by  many  as  equiva- 
lent to  a  declaration  that  Cornelius  was  a  proselyte  to  the 
Jewish  religion.  But  that  opinion  seems  to  me  to  be  erro- 
neous ;  for  had  he  been  all  that  is  usually  implied  in  that 


284  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

term,  no  hesitation  would  have  been  felt  by  Peter,  or  any 
one  of  the  disciples,  about  receiving  him  into  the  Christian 
Church.  Among  the  converts  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  were 
both  Jews  and  proselytes ;  and  that  Cornelius  belonged  to 
neither  of  these  classes  is  evident  from  the  manner  in  which 
James  refers  to  him  in  his  address  at  the  Council  at  Jerusa- 
lem, in  which  these  words  occur  :  "  Simon  hath  declared  how 
God  at  first  did  visit  the  Gentiles,  to  take  out  of  them  a  peo- 
ple for  his  name.""^  We  understand,  therefore,  that  he  was 
still  uncircumcised,  and  that,  though  he  had  a  good  report 
among  all  the  nation  of  the  Jews,t  he  had  not  as  yet,  formal- 
ly and  finally,  identified  himself  with  them. 

There  were,  at  that  time,  among  both  the  Greeks  and  Ro- 
mans, many  thoughtful  men,  who  had  become  weary  of  the 
hollowness  and  worthlessness  of  their  old  religions,  and  to 
that  class  this  devout  soldier  belonged.  He  had  outgrown 
the  superstitions  of  idolatry  and  polytheism.  He  had  per- 
haps made  himself  familiar  with  the  Greek  translation  of 
the  Old  Testament  Scriptures,  and  had  certainly  become 
convinced  of  the  unity  and  spirituality  of  God,  and  of  the 
fact  that  Jehovah  was  the  hearer  of  prayer.  The  great  prin- 
ciples underlying  the  writings  of  Moses  and  the  prophets 
had  been  accepted  by  him,  but  he  had  not  yet  seen  his  way 
to  become  a  proselyte.  Perhaps  he  might  have  become  one 
if  he  had  never  heard  of  Jesus;  but,  as  it  seems  to  me,  when 
he  had  come  so  far  in  the  investigation  of  these  momentous 
matters  as  to  believe  in  God,  and  was  about  to  entertain  the 
question  whether  he  should  submit  in  all  respects  to  the  law 
of  Moses,  and  become  virtually  a  Jew,  he  heard  of  the  death 
and  resurrection  of  Jesus  ;  and,  being  a  genuine  truth-seek- 
er, he  determined  to  wait  for  light  regarding  him  before  he 
should  take  any  decisive  step.     There  was,  as  he  could  not 

*  Acts  XV.,  14.  t  Acts  XV.,  22. 


Cornelius.  285 

but  see,  a  division  of  opinion  among  the  Jews  themselves  re- 
garding Jesus  j  and  therefore  he  would  not  commit  himself 
to  Judaism  until  he  had  made  up  his  mind  about  the  facts, 
of  which,  as  appears  clearly  from  Peter's  discourse,  he  had 
already  heard.  Thus  he  stood  outside  of  Judaism,  while  yet 
he  was  indebted  to  the  Jewish  Scriptures  for  his  knowledge 
of  the  true  God. 

If  this  be  a  correct  description  of  his  position,  then  it  will 
enable  us  to  understand  the  special  object  which  he  had  in 
view  in  his  fasting  and  prayer.  His  four  days'  devotion 
must  have  had  a  purpose,  and  it  is  most  natural  to  suppose 
that  it  was  connected  with  a  spiritual  struggle  through  which 
he  was  passing.  There  had  come  to  him  that  question  which, 
in  one  form  or  other,  confronts  every  one  who  even  hears 
about  Christ :  "  What  wilt  thou  do  with  Jesus  who  is  called 
Christ  ?"  and  in  his  anxiety  as  to  the  answer  which  he  should 
give,  he  cried  most  earnestly  to  God  for  light.  As  Neander 
has  said,  "  He  had  probably  heard  very  various  opinions  re- 
specting Christianity;  from  many  zealous  Jews,  judgments 
altogether  condemnatory  ;  from  others,  sentiments  which  led 
him  to  expect  that  in  the  new  doctrine  he  would  at  last  find 
what  he  had  so  long  been  seeking:  thus  a  conflict  would 
naturally  arise  in  his  mind  which  would  impel  him  to  seek 
illumination  from  God  on  a  question  that  so  anxiously  occu- 
pied his  thoughts."* 

Nor  did  he  seek  in  vain ;  for,  as  he  prayed,  he  saw,  in  a 
vision,  "  an  angel  of  God  coming  in  to  him,  and  saying  unto 
him,  Thy  prayers  and  thine  alms  are  come  up  for  a  memo- 
rial before  God.  And  now  send  men  to  Joppa,  and  call  for 
one  Simon,  whose  surname  is  Peter :  he  lodgeth  with  one 
Simon  a  tanner,  whose  house  is  by  the  sea-side :  he  shall  tell 
thee  what  thou  oughtest  to  do."     He  was  too  much  in  ear- 

*  Neander's  "  Planting  and  Training,"  vol.  i.,  p.  69. 


286  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

nest  either  to  doubt  concerning  the  character  of  this  com- 
munication, or  to  delay  acting  upon  it ;  so  he  sent  two  of  his 
servants  and  a  soldier,  who  was  like-minded  with  himself,  to 
find  Peter  and  bring  him  to  his  house. 

They  started  from  Cesarea  in  the  evening,  and,  having 
rested  by  the  way,  it  was  noon  of  the  next  day  before  they 
arrived  at  Joppa.  But  God  had  gone  before  them,  and  was 
even  then  preparing  his  servant  for  their  appearance.  Peter 
had  retired  to  the  flat  roof  of  the  house  in  which  he  lodged 
for  the  purpose  of  enjoying  a  season  of  devotion  ;  and  as  he 
was  engaged  in  prayer  he  became  very  hungry,  and  desired 
food  to  be  made  ready  for  him  ;  but  while  the  servants  were 
preparing  it,  he  fell  into  a  trance,  in  which  he  saw,  three 
times  repeated,  a  very  singular  vision.  A  great  sheet  was 
let  down  to  him  from  the  opened  heaven,  "  wherein  were  all 
manner  of  four-footed  beasts  of  the  earth,  and  wild  beasts, 
and  creeping  things,  and  fowls  of  the  air."  As  it  came  down 
to  him,  he  heard  a  voice  saying  to  him,  "Arise,  Peter;  slay 
and  eat."  But  the  strong  convictions  of  the  apostle  remon- 
strated against  such  a  command,  and  he  replied,  "  Not  so, 
Lord ;  for  I  have  never  eaten  any  thing  that  is  common  or 
unclean  ;"  whereupon  the  voice  answered,  "  What  God  hath 
cleansed,  that  call  not  thou  common." 

The  meaning  of  this  is  apparent  to  us  in  a  moment.  It 
was  a  symbolical  revelation  of  the  fact  that  the  restrictions 
of  the  Mosaic  law  were  now  removed ;  and  that  the  distinc- 
tion between  Jew  and  Gentile,  out  of  which  these  grew,  and 
for  the  maintenance  of  which  they  were  designed,  was  now 
abolished.  It  indicated  that  now  "  creation  itself  had  been 
purified,  and  rendered  clean  for  our  use  by  the  satisfaction 
of  Christ,""^  and  that  men  of  all  nations  were  now  to  be  dealt 
with  in  the  same  manner  for  salvation. 

*  Alford,  "  Commentary  "  in  loco. 


Cornelius.  287 

Peter,  indeed,  did  not  see  all  that  just  at  the  moment;  but 
while  he  was  pondering  on  the  vision,  and  wondering  what 
it  meant,  he  was  helped  to  a  clearer  comprehension  of  it  by 
the  arrival  of  the  servants  of  Cornelius,  and  by  the  message 
which  they  brought.  They  told  him  of  the  vision  which  had 
come  to  their  master ;  and  that  gave  him  a  key  to  the  inter- 
pretation of  the  communication  that  had  come  to  himself 
So,  putting  the  two  together,  he  determined  to  go  with  the 
men  to  Cesarea.  But,  knowing  how  jaded  they  were  with 
their  journey,  he  lodged  them  for  the  night,  and  set  out  with 
them  the  next  day. 

As  we  learn  from  the  statement  made  by  him  afterward 
at  Jerusalem,^  he  took  with  him  six  brethren  from  Joppa ; 
and  it  is  not  difficult  to  account  for  such  a  precaution.  His 
own  extraordinary  vision,  taken  in  connection  with  the  nar- 
rative told  by  the  servants  of  the  centurion,  convinced  him 
that  some  important  event  in  the  history  of  the  Church  was 
about  to  happen,  and  he  desired  that  Jev/ish  witnesses 
should  be  present,  to  give  a  faithful  report  of  every  thing 
that  might  occur.  He  wished  also  that  they  should  take 
part  with  him  in  the  performance  of  any  duty  that  might  de- 
velop its  obligation  at  the  moment.  And  so  we  see  that,  im- 
pulsive and  impetuous  as  Peter  was  by  nature,  he  was  not 
by  any  means  destitute  of  prudence ;  for  in  this  instance  his 
conduct  was  worthy  both  of  praise  and  imitation. 

The  party  arrived  at  Cesarea  on  the  following  morning; 
and  when  Peter  reached  the  house  of  Cornelius,  he  found  a 
considerable  assembly,  composed  of  the  kinsmen  and  friends 
of  the  centurion.  As  he  entered,  the  Roman  officer  met 
him,  and  fell  down  before  him ;  not  to  pay  him  divine  hom- 
age, for  Cornelius  knew  better  than  to  do  that,  but  to  show 
him  respect  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country.     Yet, 

*  Acts  xi.,  12. 


288  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

knowing  how  likely  his  acceptance  of  any  such  honor  was  to 
be  misunderstood,  Peter  said  unto  him,  "  Stand  up ;  I  my- 
self also  am  a  man :"  an  expression  which  showed  also  that 
he  had  already  learned  the  great  lesson  of  the  vision  on  the 
house-top,  which  was  the  equality  of  men  in  the  sight  of 
God. 

When  he  came  into  the  chamber  where  the  household  and 
friends  of  Cornelius  were  assembled,  he  thought  it  needful 
to  explain  how  he,  a  Jew,  came  to  be  in  such  close  contact 
with  the  Gentiles,  and  gave  his  interpretation  of  the  Divine 
revelation  which  had  been  made  to  him  in  these  emphatic 
words :  "  God  hath  showed  me  that  I  should  not  call  any 
man  common  or  unclean."  Then,  referring  to  his  prompt  re- 
sponse to  the  invitation  which  he  had  received,  he  asked  the 
centurion  why  he  had  sent  for  him.  In  reply,  Cornelius  de- 
tailed those  particulars  with  which  we  are  already  familiar, 
and  concluded  his  narrative  with  these  earnest  words,  which 
reveal  his  sense  of  the  importance  of  the  occasion :  "  Now 
therefore  are  we  all  here  present  before  God,  to  hear  all 
things  that  are  commanded  thee  of  God."  In  response  to 
this  appeal,  Peter  delivered  to  them  a  sermon  quite  as  re- 
markable as  any  of  those  which  are  recorded  in  this  wonder- 
ful history.  He  began  with  a  reiteration  of  the  great  doc- 
trine which  had  been  revealed  to  him  in  the  vision  at  Joppa: 
"Of  a  truth  I  perceive  that  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons; 
but  in  every  nation  he  that  feareth  him,  and  worketh  right- 
eousness, is  accepted  with  him." 

Yet  let  us  not  misunderstand  these  words ;  for  through 
the  oversight  of  the  circumstances  in  which  they  were  ut- 
tered many  have  drawn  from  them  inferences  which  they  do 
not  warrant.  They  do  not  imply  that  the  persons  in  regard 
to  whom  they  are  used  are  already  Sfived,  for  Cornelius  was 
one  of  them  ;  and  in  the  next  chapter  we  read  that  when  the 
angel  commanded  him  to  send  for  Peter,  he  said,  "Who 


Cornelius.  289 

shall  tell  thee  words  whereby  thou  and  all  thy  house  shall  be 
saved."^  Up  till  that  moment,  therefore,  Cornelius  and  his 
friends  were  unsaved.  Hence  the  acceptance  here  does  not 
denote  salvation.  What  it  does  mean  is  virtually  the  same 
thing  as  the  apostle  had  already  expressed  when  he  said, 
"  God  hath  showed  me  that  I  should  not  call  any  man  com- 
mon or  unclean." 

Alford's  note  on  the  passage  is  exceedingly  clear  and  val- 
uable, and  no  words  of  mine  could  give  the  true  interpre- 
tation so  forcibly.  He  says:  "The  question  which  recent 
events  had  solved  in  Peter's  mind  was  that  of  the  admissi- 
bility of  men  of  all  nations  into  the  Church  of  Christ.  In 
this  sense  only  had  he  received  any  information  as  to  the 
acceptableness  of  men  of  all  nations  before  God.  He  saw 
that  in  every  nation  men  who  seek  after  God,  who  receive 
his  witness  of  himself,  without  which  he  has  left  no  man,  and 
humbly  follow  his  will  as  they  know  it,  these  have  no  ex- 
traneous hinderance,  such  as  uncircumcision,  placed  in  their 
way  to  Christ,  but  are  capable  of  being  admitted  into  God's 
Church,  though  Gentiles,  and  as  Gentiles.  That  only  such 
are  spoken  of  is  agreeable  to  the  nature  of  the  case ;  for 
men  who  do  not  fear  God  and  work  righteousness  are  out 
of  the  question,  not  being  likely  to  seek  such  admission. 
It  is  clearly  unreasonable  to  suppose  Peter  to  have  meant 
that  each  heathen's  natural  light  and  moral  purity  would 
render  him  acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God  ;  for  if  so,  why 
should  he  have  proceeded  to  preach  Christ  to  Cornelius,  or 
indeed  anywhere  at  all  ?  And  it  is  equally  unreasonable  to 
find  any  verbal  or  doctrinal  difficulty  in  the  phrase  'work- 
eth  righteousness,'  or  to  suppose  that  righteousness  must  be 
taken  in  its  forensic  sense,  and  therefore  that  he  alludes  to 
the  state  of  men  after  becoming  believers.    He  speaks  popu- 

*  Acts  xi.,  14. 
13 


290  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

larly,  and  certainly  not  without  reference  to  the  character 
he  had  heard  of  Cornelius,  which  consisted  of  these  very 
two  parts — he  feared  God,  and  abounded  in  good  works." 

Thus,  then,  the  doctrine  of  this  verse  is,  that  mere  exter- 
nal things,  such  as  parentage,  nationality,  and  the  like,  are 
neither  any  recommendation  of  a  man  to  God,  nor  any  bar- 
rier in  his  way  to  God.  The  restrictions  of  the  Mosaic  in- 
stitute were  at  an  end ;  and  in  Christ  Jesus  there  was  to  be 
*'  neither  circumcision  nor  uncircumcision,  barbarian,  Scyth- 
ian, bond  nor  free."  Hence  this  passage  has  little  or  noth- 
ing to  do  with  the  question  as  to  the  possibility  of  the  sal- 
vation of  the  heathen  without  the  knowledge  of  the  Gospel ; 
and  as  to  that  of  the  possibility  of  the  salvation  of  a  man  in 
a  Christian  land  who  is  not  a  believer  in  Jesus  Christ,  but  is 
living  in  morality  and  benevolence,  it  is  decisive  against  it ; 
for  Cornelius  accepted  the  Saviour  when  he  was  set  before 
him ;  and  if  he  had  not  done  so,  he  would  have  been  him- 
self rejected. 

Let  no  hearer  of  the  Gospel,  therefore,  who  is  disbelieving 
Christ  attempt  to  shelter  himself  behind  this  saying  of  Pe- 
ter. As  to  the  heathen,  we  may  well  leave  them  in  the  hands 
of  God,  believing  that  "the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  shall  do 
right ;"  but  as  to  ourselves,  if,  having  heard  the  Gospel,  we 
reject  the  Saviour,  this  will  be  "  the  condemnation  that  light 
is  come  into  the  world,  and  we  have  loved  the  darkness 
rather  than  the  light,  because  our  deeds  are  evil."  Respon- 
sibility is  according  to  privilege ;  the  heathen  will  not  be 
condemned  for  rejecting  a  Saviour  of  whom  they  have  never 
heard,  for  they  who  have  sinned  without  law  shall  also  per- 
ish without  law ;  but  if  we  refuse  this  great  salvation,  our 
guilt  will  be  greater  than  that  of  the  inhabitants  of  Sodom, 
and  our  doom  will  be  more  terrible  than  that  of  Gomorrah. 

After  this  introduction,  Peter  goes  on  to  rehearse  the  Gos- 
pel to  his  audience.     He  takes  it  for  granted  that  they  had 


Cornelius.  291 

heard  the  reports  which  had  been  circulated  far  and  wide 
about  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  and  he  proceeds  to  give  a  more 
formal  account  of  the  mission  and  work  of  the  Lord.  He 
begins  with  a  reference  to  his  old  master,  John,  and  tells  of 
the  baptism  of  Jesus,  at  which,  by  the  descending  Spirit,  he 
was  specially  and  abundantly  anointed  for  his  great  work  as 
the  prophet,  priest,  and  king  of  his  people.  He  repeats  the 
beautiful  story  of  his  beneficent  life,  and  dwells  especially 
upon  his  casting-out  of  devils  from  them  that  were  possess- 
ed, as  a  proof  of  the  fact  that  God  was  with  him.  Then  he 
brings  himself  and  his  brother  apostles  forward  as  witnesses, 
who  spoke  not  from  hearsay,  but  concerning  things  which 
came  under  their  own  observation.  He  refers  to  the  cruci- 
fixion of  Jesus  by  the  Jews,  to  his  resurrection  from  the  dead, 
to  the  fact  that  he  was  seen  of  many  after  that  event,  and 
that  he  himself  was  one  of  those  who  did  eat  and  drink  with 
him.  Then,  without  any  special  allusion  to  his  ascension 
into  heaven,  he  speaks  of  the  command  which  had  been 
given  to  the  disciples  "  to  preach  unto  the  people,  and  to 
testify  that  it  is  he  which  was  ordained  of  God  to  be  the 
judge  of  quick  and  dead,"  and  concludes  with  the  decla- 
ration "that  through  his  name  whosoever  believeth  in  him 
shall  receive  remission  of  sins." 

It  is  interesting  to  compare  the  discourse  thus  epitomized  > 
with  that  which  he  delivered  on  Pentecost,  and  to  observe    i 
that,  with  incidental  variations,  arising  from  the  different  cir- 
cumstances in  which  they  were  delivered,  there  is^^et  virtual     ! 
identity.     In  the  Jerusalem  sermon,  which  was  addressed  to 
Jews,  there  is  copious  reference  to  the  Old  Testament  Script- 
ures.    In  this,  while  there  are  one  or  two  allusions  to  the 
prophets,  there  are  no  formal  quotations  from  them  ;  in  that, 
his  hearers  were  directly  charged  with  the  guilt  of  the  cru-    ' 
cifixion.     In  this,  he  does  not  seem  to  connect  his  audience 
with  that  dreadful  crime,  but  simply  says,  "  whom  they  slew, 


292  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

and  hanged  upon  a  tree ;"  in  that,  the  conclusion  was  essen- 
tially Jewish:  "Let  all  the  house  of  Israel  know  assuredly 
that  God  hath  made  this  same  Jesus,  whom  ye  have  cruci- 
fied, both  Lord  and  Christ."  In  this,  the  conclusion  em- 
braces humanity  in  its  ample  sweep,  and  emphasizes  that 
glorious  "  whosoever,"  which  is  the  sinner's  encouragement  in 
every  Gospel  invitation ;  but  in  both  the  personal  Saviour  is 
the  great  central  figure.  He  set  him  before  men's  eyes,  and 
directed  them  to  believe  in  him  for  forgiveness  and  holiness. 
In  spite  of  the  temptation  which  on  both  occasions  might 
have  enticed  him  to  put  himself  forward,  he  studiously  placed 
himself  behind  his  Master,  and  claimed  only  to  be  a  witness- 
bearer  to  his  majesty,  his  benevolence,  and  his  grace. 

While  he  was  yet  speaking,  and  indeed,  as  it  appears,  just 
as  he  was  in  the  act  of  repeating  the  gracious  invitation  to 
which  I  have  referred,  the  Holy  Ghost  miraculously  descend- 
ed on  all  them  that  heard  the  Word.  It  is  not  said  in  what 
form  he  came ;  but  as,  in  the  account  which  Peter  gave  at 
Jerusalem,  he  said,  "  The  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  them  as  on  us 
at  the  beginning ;"  and  as  the  effects  following  on  the  de- 
scent were  similar  to  those  witnessed  on  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost, "they  spake  with  tongues,  and  magnified  God,"  I  think 
it  probable  that  here  also  there  were  "  cloven  tongues  like  as 
of  fire." 

This  miraculous  endowment  of  Cornelius  and  his  friends 
with  the  Holy  Ghost  served  three  purposes :  it  certified  the 
truth  of  Peter's  words ;  it  proved  to  Peter  and  to  those  who 
were  with  him  the  genuineness  of  the  faith  of  the  Gentile 
converts ;  and  as  it  was  bestowed  through  no  apostolic  in- 
tervention, but  directly  and  immediately  by  the  Lord,  it  in- 
dicated his  will  that  they  who  had  received  it  should  be  then 
and  there  admitted  to  the  membership  of  the  Cliurch.  Thus, 
at  least,  Peter  understood  it ;  for  he  said,  "Can  any  man  for- 
bid water,  that  these  should  be  baptized  which  have  received 


Cornelius.  293 

the  Holy  Ghost  as  well  as_w,e  ?"  So  he  commanded  them  to 
be^Baptlzed  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  He  did  not  adminis- 
ter the  ordinance  hiniself,  but  left  it,  as  seems  probable,  to 
the  brethren  who  accompanied  him  to  do  that  act,  believing 
with  Paul,  "  that  Christ  had  sent  him  not  to  baptize,  but  to 
preach  the  Gospel." 

This  was  the  Pentecost  of  the  Gentiles ;  and  so  it  was 
brought  about  that  Peter  opened  the  door  of  the  Church  for 
their  admission  according  as  the  Lord  had  promised  him. 
In  many  respects  he  was  the  most  unlikely  among  the  apos- 
tles for  the  performance  of  such  a  work ;  but,  by  the  disci- 
pline of  God's  Holy  Spirit,  he  was  brought  to  see  that  no 
man  was  common  or  unclean ;  and  when  he  beheld  the  de- 
scent of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  Cornelius  and  his  friends,  he  felt 
that  to  resist  their  admission  into  the  Church  would  be  "to 
fight  against  God."^  So  he  cheerfully  acquiesced  ;  and,  far 
from  counting  it  a  disagreeable  duty,  or  from  being  eager  to 
get  away  from  the  Gentiles,  he  consented  to  their  prayer  that 
he  should  tarry  with  them  certain  days. 

Thus  the  infant  Church,  under  the  guidance  of  its  Lord, 
took  a  new  departure,  and  entered  upon  that  world-wide 
mission  in  which  it  is  still  engaged.  At  Cesarea,  first,  its 
preachers  found  out  fully  that  its  field  was  the  world,  and 
the  churches  of  the  Gentiles  are  the  noble  fruits  of  Peter's 
obedience  to  the  heavenly  vision. 

Many  interesting  and  important  lessons  are  suggested  by 
this  striking  narrative,  but  I  can  mention  only  one  or  two. 

We  may  learn,  then,  in  the  first  place,  that  the  way  to  get 
light  is  to  act  up  to  that  which  we  have,  and  pray  for  more. 
Cornelius  was  seeking  after  God.  He  had  not  yet  found 
Christ,  but  he  had  found  something,  and  "whereto  he  had 
attained  he  walked  by  that  rule."     He  had  discovered  that 

*  Acts  xi.,  17. 


294  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

God  was  one,  that  he  was  spiritual,  that  he  was  the  hearer 
of  prayer,  and  that  he  had  enjoined  upon  men  holiness  and 
benevolence.  So  he  acted  upon  these  principles  out  of  re- 
gard to  God's  will,  and  waited  upon  him  in  earnest  pra3'er 
that  he  might  know  yet  more  concerning  him.  Then  God 
sent  directions  to  him,  in  the  following  of  which  he  was  led 
to  fuller  understanding  of  the  truth,  and  to  salvation  through 
Christ. 

Now,  this  is  a  uniform  law  of  God's  procedure.  It  is  rec- 
ognized by  the  Psalmist  when  he  says,  "  Unto  the  upright 
there  ariseth  light  in  the  darkness  ;"^  and  it  is  repeatedly 
referred  to  by  our  Lord  himself  as  when  he  says, "  Unto  ev- 
ery one  that  hath  shall  be  given  ;"t  and  "  If  any  man  will  do 
his  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine,  whether  it  be  of  God."1: 
If,  therefore,  any  one  here  should  be  in  a  spiritual  struggle, 
longing  for  the  light,  and  eagerly  anxious  to  know  what  he 
must  do,  let  me  ask  him  to  define  clearly  to  himself  what  he 
does  see  and  believe,  and  let  me  beseech  him  to  act  up  to 
that ;  for  as  he  does  so,  light  will  break  upon  his  path,  and 
in  some  way  or  other  direction  will  be  given  him. 

Those  who  have  read  the  memoir  of  Frederick  Robertson 
will  remember  how  he  stayed  himself  up  with  this  principle 
during  that  dark  wrestle  with  doubt  and  disbelief  which  he 
had  in  his  journey  through  the  Tyrol.  Every  thing  else  went 
from  him,  but  he  could  hold  by  this  :  "  It  is  always  right  to 
do  right ;"  and  in  the  acting-out  of  that  he  regained  his  hold 
of  Christ.  So  let  the  seekers  and  the  tempted  among  us 
follow  his  example,  and  cry  mightily  to  God.  He  will  guide 
us  into  the  truth.  Not  now,  indeed,  by  miracle  as  he  led 
Cornelius ;  but  we  may  rely  upon  it  that  if  we  are  but  ear- 
nest in  our  search,  and  faithful  in  our  effort  to  act  up  to  what 
we  do  know,  he  will,  in  some  way  or  other,  open  up  our  way 

*  Psa.  cxii.,  4.  t  Matt,  xxv.,  29.  i  John  vii.,  17. 


Cornelius.  295 

before  us,  making  crooked  things  straight  and  rough  places 
smooth.  Here  are  his  own  assurances :  "  If  from  thence 
thou  shalt  seek  the  Lord  thy  God,  thou  shalt  find  him,  if 
thou  seek  him  with  all  thy  heart  and  with  all  thy  soul  ;"* 
"  If  any  of  you  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God,  that  giveth 
to  all  men  liberally,  and  upbraideth  not ;  and  it  shall  be  giv- 
en him.  But  let  him  ask  in  faith,  nothing  wavering :  for  he 
that  wavereth  is  like  a  wave  of  the  sea  driven  with  the  wind 
and  tossed."t 

We  may  learn,  in  the  second  place,  that  in  all  spiritual 
matters  we  should  be  prompt.  Cornelius  lost  no  time  in 
sending  messengers  for  Peter.  He  was  in  earnest,  and  the 
sooner  he  could  find  rest  for  his  soul,  the  better.  Nay,  after 
Peter  came,  he  took  in  all  he  said  while  he  was  yet  speak- 
ing, and  so  received  the  Holy  Ghost.  Let  every  inquirer  im- 
itate him  in  this : 

"To-day  is  yours  ;  to-morrow  never  yet 
On  any  human  being  rose  or  set." 

Therefore  do  at  once  that  which  is  needed  to  secure  your 
soul's  welfare.  When  Moses  asked  Pharaoh  when  he  should 
entreat  the  Lord  to  remove  the  frogs  that  were  croaking 
through  all  the  palace,  and  leaping  on  his  very  couches,  he 
said,  "  To-morrow  !"  and  you  marvel  at  his  folly.  You  think 
that  if  you  had  been  in  his  circumstances  you  would  have 
said,  "The  sooner  the  better."  But  beware  lest,  in  censur- 
ing him,  you  do  not  condemn  yourself;  for  when  we  press 
upon  3^our  attention  the  importance  of  spiritual  and  eternal 
things,  and  ask  you  to  get  rid  of  your  sins,  you  say  to  us, 
"Yes, yes;  you  are  speaking  the  truth,  and  I  will  attend  to 
it  soon,  some  time,  to-morrow  ;"  and  when  the  morrow  comes, 
the  cry  is  still  "  To-morrow !"  and  when  a  death-bed  comes, 

*  Deut.  iv.,  29.  t  James  i.,  5-6. 


296  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

"  to-morrow  "  is — in  hell !  Oh  !  be  not  so  foolish.  "  To-day 
if  ye  will  hear  his  voice,  harden  not  your  hearts."  You  do 
not  need  to  send  to  Joppa  in  order  to  have  the  truth  pro- 
claimed to  you.  Nay,  "  The  word  is  nigh  thee,  even  in  thy 
mouth,  and  in  thy  heart :  that  is,  the  word  of  faith,  which  we 
preach;  that  if  thou  shalt  confess  with  thy  mouth  the  Lord 
Jesus,  and  shalt  believe  in  thine  heart  that  God  hath  raised 
him  from  the  dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved.'"*^  Linger  not  a  mo- 
ment longer,  therefore,  but  "  believe  and  live." 

But  the  promptitude  of  Peter  is  as  remarkable  as  that  of 
Cornelius,  and  we  who  have  to  deal  with  men  about  their 
souls  should  take  a  lesson  from  his  example.  He  went  with 
the  men  "  without  gainsaying,  as  soon  as  he  was  sent  for." 
So  we  ought  to  be  willing,  at  any  sacrifice  of  personal  con- 
venience, to  help  a  sinner  to  salvation  through  Christ. 

Many  years  ago,  in  connection  with  an  effort  which  was 
made  to  reach  the  non- church -going  population  of  Liver- 
pool, I  preached  to  an  enormous  audience  in  a  circus.  It 
required  from  me  a  great  physical  effort,  so  that  when  my 
discourse  was  finished  I  was  myself  completely  prostrated. 
While  I  was  in  that  condition,  and  before  I  had  left  the 
place,  a  person  came  up  wishing  to  speak  with  me  about  the 
way  of  life.  I  made  an  appointment  with  him  to  meet  me 
the  next  morning.  But  he  never  came.  And  so  I  have 
written  down  that  as  one  of  the  lost  opportunities  of  my  life. 
I  had  not  then  fully  learned  the  lesson  which  the  ]\Laster 
taught  me  by  the  well  of  Sychar,  and  I  can  not  look  back 
upon  my  error  without  emotion.  Had  I  spent  a  few  min- 
utes with  that  man,  he  might  haply  have  been  brought  to 
Christ.  The  memory  of  that  incident  has  been  a  spur  to 
me  in  later  years;  and  I  have  told  it  now,  that  all  of  us  who, 
in  the  providence  of  God,  may  have  an  opportunity  of  deal- 

*  Rom.  X.,  8, 9. 


Cornelius.  297 

ing  with  an  inquiring  sinner,  may  use  promptitude.  "The 
king's  business  requireth  haste."  Now — alike  for  preacher 
and  hearer — is  the  accepted  time. 

We  may  learn  here,  thirdly,  that  preachers  and  hearers 
are  prepared  for  each  other  by  God.  Cornelius  is  led  in  a 
peculiar  manner  to  send  for  Peter ;  Peter  is  fitted  in  a  man- 
ner equally  peculiar  for  going  to  Cornelius ;  and  when  they 
come  together,  the  result  is  blessing.  Now,  it  is  precisely 
so  yet  with  ordinary  ministers  and  hearers — with  this  dif- 
ference, that  in  our  days  the  preparation  is  effected  by  the 
usual  means  of  God's  providence,  and  not  by  miracle.  The 
preacher  is  led  through  a  special  spiritual  history ;  he  is 
guided  to  the  choice  of  a  particular  subject,  which  his  ex- 
perience leads  him  to  treat  in  a  distinctive  manner,  and  he 
is  led  to  preach  it  in  a  place  which  perhaps  is  at  a  consid- 
erable distance  from  his  stated  field  of  labor.  The  hearer, 
again,  is  brought  through  certain  circumstances,  say  of  trial, 
temporal  distress,  bereavement,  or  spiritual  perplexity ;  he 
is  led  on  a  certain  day  to  a  certain  place  of  worship ;  he 
can  give  no  precise  reason  why  on  that  day  he  went  to  that 
place,  but  there  he  met  the  message  which  God  intended  for 
him.  It  seems  to  him,  as  he  listens,  that  the  preacher  must 
somehow  have  known  his  past  life,  and  is  at  the  moment  in 
possession  of  his  innermost  secrets ;  and  speaking  thus  to 
his  circumstances,  he  is  blessed  in  his  conversion. 

This  is  no  uncommon  history.  I  have  known  so  many 
such  cases  in  my  own  experience  ;  and  so  firm  is  my  faith  in 
what  I  may  call  the  forerunning  grace  of  the  Spirit  and  the 
particular  providence  of  God,  that  I  never  preach  to  any 
audience,  small  or  great,  without  the  conviction  that  I  am 
sent  with  a  special  word  for  some  one  there.  Nay,  more,  I 
am  impressed  with  the  belief  that  God  makes  the  moods 
and  feelings  and  the  personal  and  domestic  history  of  the 
preacher  a  means  of  preparing  him  to  benefit  his  people ; 

13* 


298  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

and  I  try  to  think,  when  I  am  in  joy  or  in  sorrow,  in  de- 
spondency or  in  light,  that  God  has  sent  me  on  ahead  of  my 
people,  that  I  may  be  able  the  better  to  guide  them  in  pros- 
perity, and  in  adversity  may  "comfort  them  with  the  comfort 
wherewith  we  ourselves  have  been  comforted  of  God."  Je- 
hovah gives  the  preacher  visions  now,  not  by  "  trances  "  upon 
the  house-top,  but  through  discipline  and  trial.  Tears  are  often 
the  telescopes  through  which  he  gives  them  a  sight  of  the  in- 
visible j  and  their  best  sermons  are  those  which  he  has  written 
first  upon  their  own  hearts  by  the  sharp  "  stylus  "  of  affliction. 
When  Ezekiel  was  bereaved  of  his  wife,  it  was  that  he 
might  be  made  a  sign  to  the  people  among  whom  he  prophe- 
sied;  and  the  personal  history  of  the  preacher  prepares  him 
to  speak  a  word  in  season  10  them  that  are  weary.  But  if 
this  be  so  with  him,  the  circumstances  of  the  hearers  ought 
to  prepare  them  also  for  some  helpful  message  through  the 
pulpit ;  and  every  week  you  should  be  on  the  outlook  for  it, 
for  such  expectant  hearers  are  never  disappointed.  If  there 
were  more  audiences  like  that  in  the  household  of  Corne- 
lius, saying,  "  We  are  all  here  present  before  God  to  hear 
all  things  that  are  commanded  thee  of  God,"  there  would  be 
more  preachers  like  Peter.  Model  hearers  will  make  mod- 
el ministers.  Ah,  at  how  many  points  our  histories  touch 
each  other  !  and  while  we  are  unconscious  of  the  providence 
that  is  thus  over  us  all,  how  God  is  working  out  his  gra- 
cious purpose  in  us  all !  This  subject  ought  to  give  new  im- 
portance to  the  pulpit  in  your  regard  ;  and  I  am  sure  that  it 
has  given  me  new  confidence  and  inspiration  as  a  preacher 
of  the  cross.  I  am  not  drawing,  day  by  day,  my  bow  at  a 
venture.  I  do  not  see,  indeed,  where  the  arrow  is  to  find  its 
mark ;  but  the  Holy  Spirit  is  to  me  as  the  old  prophet  was 
to  Israel's  king,*  for  his  hands  are  upon  my  hands ;  and 

*  2  Kings  xiii.,  17. 


Cornelius.  299 

as  the  bowstring  twangs,  he  cries,  "  The  arrow  of  the  Lord's 
deliverance."  Faithful  preaching  is  never  in  vain  ;  and  the 
history  of  Cornelius  sends  me  away  to-night  with  a  new  in- 
terpretation of  the  poet's  lyric : 

"  I  shot  an  arrow  into  the  air  : 
It  fell  to  earth  I  knew  not  where ; 
For  so  swiftly  it  flew,  the  sight 
Could  not  follow  it  in  its  flight. 

"  I  breathed  a  song  into  the  air  : 
It  fell  to  earth  I  knew  not  where  ; 
For  who  has  sight  so  keen  and  strong 
That  it  can  follow  the  flight  of  song  ? 

"  Long,  long  afterward,  in  an  oak, 
I  found  the  arrow  still  unbroke  ; 
And  the  song,  from  beginning  to  end, 
I  found  again  in  the  heart  of  a  friend." 

No  sermon  preached  for  Christ  misses  its  mark.  Let  the 
ministers  among  us  take  comfort  at  the  thought,  and  labor 
on.  We  shall  meet  the  fruits  of  our  discourses  in  the  better 
land. 


XX. 

PETER  PRAYED  OUT  OF  PRISON. 

Acts  xii. 

,  *"  I  ^HE  proceedings  of  Peter  in  the  household  of  Cornelius 
/  X  were  heard  of  by  the  members  of  the  Church  of  Jeru- 
salem with  surprise,  and  on  his  return  to  the  Holy  City  the 
apostle  was  put  on  his  defense  for  going  in  to  men  that  were 
uncircumcised  and  eating  with  them.  In  reply  he  gave  a 
simple  narrative  of  all  that  had  occurred,  and  called  upon 
the  six  brethren  who  had  accompanied  him  to  Cesarea  to 
confirm  his  statements ;  and  the  result  was  that  his  adver- 
saries "held  their  peace,  and  glorified  God,  saying,  Then 
hath  God  also  to  the  Gentiles  granted  repentance  unto  life." 

Shortly  after  this,  tidings  were  brought  to  the  members  of 
the  mother  Church  that  certain  of  those  who  had  left  Jeru- 
salem in  consequence  of  the  persecution  in  which  Stephen 
suffered  had  gone  to  Antioch,  and  preached  the  Gospel  to 
the  Gentiles  there ;  and  Barnabas  was  sent  as  a  special 
commissioner  to  examine  into  the  matter  and  report.  He 
found  that  a  great  number  had  believed  and  turned  unto  the 
Lord,  and  the  sight  of  their  decision  and  earnestness  filled 
his  heart  with  joy ;  while  at  the  same  time  the  success  of 
the  preachers  among  them  gave  him  such  an  impression 
regarding  the  hopefulness  of  the  field  in  their  city,  that  he 
went  at  once  to  Tarsus,  and  brought  Paul  thence  to  labor 
with  him  in  Antioch. 

Here  for  a  whole  year  these  noble  men  continued  their 
ministry,  isolated  in  a  great  degree  from  the  brethren  in  Ju- 


Peter  Prayed  Out  of  Prison.  301 

dea,  yet  so  interested  in  their  welfare  that  at  a  time  of  fam- 
ine they  carried  to  the  saints  in  Jerusalem  a  liberal  contri- 
bution for  their  relief.  But  they  did  not  remain  long  in  the 
city  which  was  so  dear  to  them  both,  for  just  then  a  fresh 
persecution,  organized  and  prosecuted  by  Herod  the  king, 
broke  out  against  the  Christians  there. 

This  monarch  was  distinguished  by  the  unscrupulous  cru- 
elty which  characterized  all  the  members  of  the  family  to 
which  he  belonged ;  and  after  a  checkered  career,  remarka- 
ble for  intrigue,  cunning,  and  sycophancy,  he  was  now  upon 
the  throne  of  Judea.  He  was  the  grandson  of  that  Herod 
the  Great  who  caused  the  murder  of  the  infants  at  Bethle- 
hem ;  the  brother  of  that  Herodius  who  instigated  the  exe- 
cution of  John  the  Baptist ;  and  the  father  of  that  Agrippa 
before  whom  Paul  afterward  made  his  noble  defense  at  Ces- 
area.  He  is  commonly  known  in  history  as  Herod  Agrippa 
I. ;  and  a  brief  epitome  of  his  life  up  to  this  closing  inci- 
dent of  his  career  may  help  to  give  you  some  idea  of  his 
personal  character,  as  well  as  of  the  lawlessness  and  corrup- 
tion of  the  age  in  which  he  lived. 

Fleeing  from  Palestine  to  escape  the  rage  of  his  grand- 
father, he  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  youth  in  Rome ;  but 
by  a  course  of  reckless  extravagance,  he  reduced  himself 
to  such  poverty  that  he  was  obliged,  in  the  year  23,  to  re- 
turn to  Judea.  After  living  there  in  great  penury  for  three 
years,  he  revisited  Rome,  and  through  the  influence  of  his 
mother,  Bernice,  he  was  kindly  received  by  the  Emperor 
Tiberius,  and  became  the  friend  of  Caius  Caligula,  the  heir- 
apparent,  and  afterward  the  occupant,  of  the  imperial  throne. 
Happening,  in  conversation,  to  express  a  wish  that  his  friend 
were  emperor,  one  who  overheard  his  words  repeated  them 
to  Tiberius,  who  threw  him  into  prison  and  kept  him  there 
in  chains  ;  but  when  Caligula  reached  the  throne,  he  was 
set  at  liberty  and  loaded  with  honors.    The  new  emperor 


302  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

gave  him  a  golden  chain  equal  in  weight  to  the  iron  one 
by  which  he  had  been  bound,  and  conferred  upon  him,  with 
the  title  of  king,  the  two  tetrarchies  of  Palestine,  which  hap- 
pened at  that  time  to  be  vacant.  By  his  prudent  manage- 
ment, he  prevailed  upon  the  emperor  not  to  insist  upon  his 
impious  demand  to  have  his  statue  set  up  in  the  Temple  of 
Jerusalem  ;  and,  true  to  his  policy  of  worshiping  the  rising 
sun,  after  the  murder  of  Caligula,  in  the  plotting  of  which 
some  suppose  he  had  a  share,  he  secured  the  favor  of  his 
successor  Claudius,  who  confirmed  the  grants  of  the  former 
emperor,  and  added  to  them  the  sovereignty  of  Judea  and 
Samaria,  thereby  making  him  ruler  of  the  whole  territory 
over  which  his  grandfather  had  held  sway. 

At  the  date  of  the  events  in  this  chapter  he  was  in  the 
fifty-fourth  year  of  his  age ;  and  though  he  had  offended  the 
stricter  Jews  by  his  introduction  of  Roman  customs,  yet  by 
his  success  in  procuring  the  revocation  of  the  odious  edict 
of  Caligula,  and  by  seeking  in  every  way  to  propitiate  the 
favor  of  the  people,  he  was  very  popular  among  his  subjects. 
Josephus*  has  thus  described  him  :  "  This  king  was  by  nat- 
ure very  beneficent  and  liberal  in  his  gifts  ;  and  being  very 
ambitious  to  oblige  people  with  such  large  donations,  he 
made  himself  very  illustrious  by  the  many  expensive  pres- 
ents which  he  bestowed.  He  took  delight  in  giving,  and  re- 
joiced in  living  with  good  reputation Accordingly,  he 

loved  to  live  continually  at  Jerusalem,  and  was  exactly  care- 
ful in  the  observance  of  the  laws  of  his  country.  He  there- 
fore kept  himself  entirely  pure  ;  nor  did  any  day  pass  over 
his  head  without  its  appointed  sacrifice." 

The  sacred  and  profane  historians  are  thus  in  perfect  ac- 
cord regarding  this  man.  The  master  passion  of  his  soul, 
in  the  view  of  both,  was  to  please  the  people.     His  ruling 

*  "Antiquities,"  19,  7,  i. 


Peter  Prayed  Out  of  Prison.  303 

principle  was  love  of  display,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
the  admiration  and  the  good  opinion  of  the  multitude.  This 
made  him,  among  Jews,  an  exact  and  even  scrupulous  Jew ; 
and  it  was  only  natural  that  his  pious  zeal  should  show  it- 
self in  seeking  to  extirpate  the  Christians  ;  while  again,  see- 
ing how  grateful  this  was  to  the  feelings  of  those  with  whom 
he  came  into  contact,  he  was  thereby  encouraged  to  prose- 
cute the  work  of  intolerance  with  increasing  energy.  How 
mixed  the  motives  which  operate  in  the  human  heart !  and 
in  how  many  is  an  apparent  zeal  for  some  religious  cause 
only  the  outcome  of  personal  vanity  and  the  desire  to  secure 
the  favor  of  the  multitude  !  Not  such  assistance  nor  such 
defenders  does  the  truth  require ;  for  he  who  is  its  Lord  has 
said  to  all  his  followers,  "  Put  up  the  sword  into  its  scabbard." 
The  principal  victim  of  Herod's  persecution  was  the  Apos- 
tle James.  We  know  nothing  more  of  this  early  martyr  than 
what  has  been  told  us  in  the  sacred  narrative.  He  was  the 
son  of  Zebedee  and  Salome,  and  the  brother  of  John.  He 
was  one  of  the  three  most  favored  disciples,  and  was  pres- 
ent at  the  raising  of  Jairus's  daughter,  and  on  the  Mount  of 
Transfiguration.  He  was,  besides,  one  of  those  who  were 
taken  farthest  with  Jesus  into  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane. 
Along  with  John,  he  was  so  distinguished  for  zeal  and  en- 
ergy in  the  Master's  cause,  that  he  called  them  Boanerges 
("  sons  of  thunder  ").  And  as  it  is  the  loftiest  towers  that 
are  first  struck  by  the  lightning,  and  the  tallest  trees  that 
feel  most  the  fury  of  the  blast,  it  is  probable  that  by  emi- 
nence, ability,  and  success  he  stood  so  prominently  forward 
among  the  Christians  as  to  attract  the  attention  and  pro- 
voke the  enmity  of  their  opponents.  For  him  and  John  his 
mother  had  asked  from  the  Redeemer  the  highest  posts  of 
honor  in  his  kingdom ;  and  though  he  said  that  she  knew 
not  what  she  asked,  he  promised  that  they  should  drink  of 
his  cup,  and  be  baptized  with  his  baptism. 


304  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

In  different  forms  this  cup  was  presented  to  them.  John 
lived  to  be  the  last  witness-bearer  of  the  apostles,  and  passed 
through  many  fiery  trials  ;  but  James,  in  his  early  ministry — 
for  it  was  yet  no  more  than  thirteen  years  since  the  cruci- 
fixion— followed  Jesus,  through  the  fire  of  martyrdom,  to  the 
throne  of  glory.  Perhaps,  as  he  was  being  led  forth  to  be 
beheaded  by  the  sword,  there  might  come  back  upon  him 
the  memory  of  the  Lord's  answer  to  his  mother's  request, 
and  with  that  the  feeling  that  he  was  entering  into  the  fel- 
lowship of  his  Redeemer's  sufferings  preparatory  to  the  shar- 
ing with  him  of  his  glory.  We  can  not  tell,  but  we  may  be 
sure  that  he  who  sustained  Stephen  in  that  hour 

"  When,  from  a  happy  place, 
God's  glory  smote  him  on  the  face," 

would  not  forsake  James ;  and,  though  little  or  nothing  is 
here  said  of  his  departure,  we  are  not,  on  that  account,  to 
think  that  his  bearing  would  be  less  worthy  of  a  Christian 
apostle  than  that  of  Paul  in  after-days.  His  dying  words 
are  not  recorded,  nor  is  his  courage  dwelt  upon.  It  is  taken 
as  a  thing  of  course  that  he  glorified  Christ  in  both ;  and 
yonder  he  is  one  of  the  foremost  leaders  in  that  "noble 
army  of  martyrs  "  who  praise  the  Lord  continually. 
I  Encouraged  by  the  effect  produced  on  the  minds  of  the 
Jews  by  the  killing  of  James,  and  wishing  still  further  to  se- 
cure their  applause,  Herod  apprehended  Peter,  and  put  him 
in  prison  until  the  Passover  should  be  over,  intending  then 
to  make  a  grand  public  spectacle  of  his  execution.  What 
was  a  human  life  or  two  to  him,  compared  with  his  darling 
popularity  ?  That  he  might  not  be  foiled  in  his  plans,  he 
watched  his  victim  very  closely.  Not  only  was  he  put  in 
prison,  but  sixteen  soldiers  were  appointed  to  keep  guard 
over  him  day  and  night,  four  and  four  by  turns.  Two  were 
in  the  dungeon  with  him,  one  being  chained  to  him  on  each 


Peter  Prayed  Out  of  Prison.  305 

side ;  one  was  at  the  door  of  his  dungeon,  and  one  was  at 
the  prison  door  itself:  and  all  these  precautions  were  taken 
over  and  above  the  ordinary  safeguards  of  the  place. 

One  might  have  thought  it  was  a  waste  of  resources  thus 
to  set  soldiers  beside  a  poor  defenseless  man.  AVhat  had 
he  done  that  he  should  be  so  guarded }  Was  he  some  mur- 
derous Barabbas,  or  some  powerful  partisan  ?  or  had  he  be- 
hind him  some  unscrupulous  associates,  who  would  resort  to 
violence  and  set  him  free  ?  Nothing  of  the  kind.  He  was 
an  unlettered  man,  who  preached  "  Jesus  and  the  resurrec- 
tion." But  there  were  some  about  Herod  who  could  tell  of 
this  same  Peter  that  once  before  he  had  got  out  of  prison 
they  knew  not  how ;  and  so  he  would  be  sure  that  there 
would  be  no  second  deliverance.  Vain  man  !  Did  he  think 
himself  a  match  for  God  ?  Did  he  imagine  that,  if  it  was 
God's  will  to  set  his  servant  free,  his  bolts  and  bars  and 
sentinels  would  matter  any  thing?  Very  likely  he  did  not 
think  of  Jehovah  in  the  matter  at  all ;  but  in  the  end  he 
was  constrained  to  confess  that  Providence  was  stronger 
than  his  prison.  For  some  days,  indeed,  nothing  occurred 
to  disturb  his  equanimity.  It  was  the  very  night  before  the 
coming  spectacle.  It  was  probably  the  last  watch  of  the 
night ;  all  arrangements  had  been  made ;  and  he  was,  per- 
haps, by  anticipation  congratulating  himself  on  the  splendor 
of  the  show  which  the  morrow  was  to  usher  in,  when,  all  si- 
lently and  divinely,  his  prisoner  was  taken  out  of  his  hands. 

How  this  was  accomplished  is  minutely  told  us  in  the  nar- 
rative. The  brethren  of  the  Church  were  unceasing  and 
earnest  in  their  prayers  on  Peter's  behalf.  The  ear  of  Her- 
od was  denied  them ;  and  even  though  they  could  have  ob- 
tained access  to  him,  there  was  little  hope  of  moving  him 
from  his  determination ;  but  they  made  supplication  unto 
God.  Beautiful  exceedingly  is  this  trait  in  the  character  of 
these  simple-hearted  ones.     They  were  not  anxious  for  their 


3o6  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

own  safety  merely,  but  tenderly  attached  to  Peter,  who  had 
been  so  identified  with  the  early  history  of  the  Church,  and 
who,  by  his  zeal  and  affection,  had  endeared  himself  to  them 
all.  Therefore  they  brought  his  case  to  Jesus.  Nay,  seeing 
days  of  darkness  settling  down  upon  the  spiritual  society  of 
which  they  were  members,  and  knowing  how  valuable  the 
son  of  Jonas  was  as  a  counselor  and  leader,  they  were  anx- 
ious for  the  future  of  the  Church.  "  Their  hearts  trembled 
for  the  ark  of  God ;"  and  to  God,  its  omnipotent  protector 
and  sure  defense,  they  made  their  appeal.  We  know  not 
how  they  shaped  their  supplications,  or  what  it  was  precisely 
that  they  asked ;  but  we  may  conjecture  that  they  earnestly 
besought  either  that  he  might  be  delivered,  or  that  he  might 
be  sustained  and  strengthened  so  to  die  as  to  demonstrate 
to  every  beholder  the  beauty  and  power  of  that  truth  which 
he  had  so  earnestly  proclaimed.  Nay,  the  very  remembrance 
of  that  former  deliverance,  the  report  of  which,  perhaps,  made 
Herod  guard  the  prison  so  securely,  would  make  them  more 
earnest  and  believing  in  their  prayers.  They  had  no  mis- 
givings as  to  God's  willingness  to  hear  or  ability  to  help ; 
and  so  they  agreed  to  meet  each  other  at  the  throne  of 
grace,  and  make  united  supplication  for  the  much -loved 
apostle  ;  for  had  they  not  this  as  their  warrant :  "  If  any  two 
of  you  shall  agree  on  earth  touching  any  thing,  ye  shall  ask 
the  Father  in  my  name,  and  it  shall  be  given  you  ?" 

And  what,  meanwhile,  of  Peter }  The  sacred  historian  is 
silent  concerning  his  prison  exercises ;  but  we  can  not  doubt 
that  he,  too,  would  commit  his  cause  to  his  Redeemer,  and 
would  calmly  and  peacefully  wait  the  issue.  The  next  day, 
so  far  as  he  knew,  was  to  see  his  public  execution  ;  but  he 
would  sleep  as  usual.  So,  unbinding  his  girdle,  and  throw- 
ing off  his  upper  garment,  and  loosing  his  sandals,  he  lay 
down  to  rest.  We  may  not  argue  too  much  from  this,  indeed, 
for  many  of  the  vilest  malefactors  have  slept  soundly  on  the 


Peter  Prayed  Out  of  Prison.  307 

eve  of  their  death;  yet  if  an  eloquent  historian  and  a  brill- 
iant artist  have  both  singled  out  the  "Last  Sleep  of  Ar- 
gyle "  as  a  beautiful  and  touching  illustration  of  the  calm 
composure  which  a  peaceful  conscience  gives,  even  in  the 
most  appalling  circumstances,  we  may  surely  be  excused  for 
remarking  on  the  deep  slumber  of  Peter  here.  On  the  one 
hand,  we  may  see  in  it  the  evidence  of  his  spiritual  tranquil- 
lity, and,  on  the  other,  we  may  view  it  as  a  signal  instance 
of  the  benignity  of  him  who  "giveth  his  beloved  sleep." 
And  who  would  not  prefer  the  rest  of  the  apostle,  though  his 
couch  was  in  a  prison,  and  his  hands  were  manacled,  to  that 
of  Herod  in  his  palace,  surrounded  with  all  the  luxuries  of 
rank  and  wealth  ?  Better  far  the  clanking  chains  that  bind 
the  limbs  than  those  more  insidious  bonds  that  fetter  the 
soul. 

But  not  long  now  was  Peter  to  be  fettered  ;  for,  all  un- 
challenged by  the  sentinels,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  entered 
the  cell,  and  awoke  the  apostle  while  yet  his  keepers  slept. 
He  bade  him  rise  up  quickly,  and,  as  he  rose,  the  chains  fell 
from  his  hands.  He  commanded  him  to  gird  himself,  and 
bind  on  his  sandals — for  when  God  works  there  is  no  undue 
haste ;  and  then,  asking  him  to  cast  his  upper  garment  round 
him,  he  said,  "  Follow  me."  Scarcely  knowing  whether  he 
were  "  in  the  body  or  out  of  the  body,"  and  hardly  believ- 
ing that  he  was  not  in  a  trance,  the  apostle  accompanied 
him.  They  passed  in  safety  the  other  two  guards  who  had 
been  so  warily  posted;  and  when  they  came  to  the  outer 
gate  of  iron  that  opened  into  tl>e  city,  lo !  it  swung  back 
of  itself  before  them,  and  they  stood  upon  the  street !  Then 
all  need  of  miracle  was  over,  and  the  angelic  messenger  de- 
parted, leaving  Peter  in  a  state  of  bewilderment.  But  soon 
he  came  to  see  how  it  had  been,  and  acknowledging  God's 
care  over  him,  he  turned  his  steps  to  the  house  of  Mary, 
whose  son,  John  Mark,  was  already  known  in  the  Church. 


3o8  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

There,  all  untimely  as  was  the  hour,  many  were  assembled 
in  earnest  prayer.  The  portress  came  to  the  gate  as  he 
knocked,  and,  recognizing  his  well-known  voice,  she  ran  to 
tell  the  news  that  he  was  there,  instead  of  opening  the  gate, 
as  a  sensible  girl  should  have  done.  The  friends  would  not 
believe  her  words.  They  insisted  that  she  had  seen  an  ap- 
parition like  the  apostle,  or  that  she  had  been  visited  by  his 
guardian  angel;  for  Jesus  had  declared  that  every  one  of 
his  dear  ones  has  a  guardian  angel  before  God's  face ;  and 
they  believed — whether  rightly  or  wrongly,  the  historian  does 
not  tell  us — that  such  ministering  spirits  may  occasionally 
appear  in  the  likeness  of  him  whom  it  is  their  office  to 
attend. 

In  their  controversy  about  this  matter,  one  w^onders  that 
none  of  them  should  have  thought  of  going  directly  to  the 
gate  and  making  personal  investigation;  but  the  circum- 
stances were  so  unusual  that  we  may  well  excuse  the  flutter 
into  which  they  were  put.  Meanwhile  the  knocking  contin- 
ued; and  when  at  length  the  gate  was  opened,  there,  in 
reality,  was  Peter,  and  they  were  astonished.  They  had 
been  praying  for  his  deliverance,  and  when  the  answer  came 
they  were  surprised.  Alas !  it  has  been  often  so  since. 
Our  faith  is  so  feeble  that  when  an  answer  to  our  supplica- 
tions comes,  it  takes  us  by  surprise ;  whereas,  if  we  were 
really  believing,  the  wonder  would  be  that  an  answer  should 
not  come. 

The  appearance  of  Peter  was  the  occasion  of  much  in- 
quiry among  them  all.  Many  of  them  were  speaking  at 
once,  and  a  kind  of  confusion  ensued ;  but  with  a  presence 
of  mind  greater  than  that  of  any  in  the  meeting,  Peter  real- 
.  ized  the  danger  in  which  he  stood,  and  so,  proclaiming  si- 
lence by  the  beckoning  of  his  hand,  he  told  them  all  that 
God  had  done  for  him,  and  commanded  them  to  inform  the 
members  of  the  Church  in  general,  and  in  particular  James 


Peter  Prayed  Out  of  Prison.  309 

(usually  called  the  Less,  and  sometimes  denominated  the 
Lord's  brother),  of  his  deliverance.  Thereafter  he  departed 
to  seek  safety  by  prudent  concealment. 

In  the  morning  great  consternation  was  felt  when  it  was 
known  that  the  prisoner  had  escaped ;  and  Herod,  in  his 
wrath,  caused  the  keepers  to  be  put  to  death.  His  fine 
scheme  of  a  public  execution  had  been  frustrated,  but  his 
proud  heart  had  not  been  humbled ;  for  he  went  immedi- 
ately to  Cesarea,  and,  as  we  know  from  Josephus,  began  to 
hold  a  great  festival  in  honor  of  Claudius.  Either  it  was 
the  celebration  of  the  emperor's  birthday,  or  the  observance 
of  the  games  known  as  the  "Quinquennalia,"  or  fifth -year 
exhibition  ;  or,  as  is  most  likely,  a  special  festival  to  mark 
the  triumphant  return  of  Claudius  from  Great  Britain,  where 
he  had  conquered  some  of  the  native  princes.  During  these 
games,  he  publicly  received  a  deputation  from  the  inhabit- 
ants of  Tyre  and  Sidon,  with  whom  he  had  been  at  variance. 
It  does  not  appear  that  there  had  been  any  actual  war  ;  but 
as  the  people  in  Sidonia  depended  almost  entirely  on  Pal- 
estine for  their  supplies  of  food,  it  was  very  inconvenient  for 
them  to  have  any  rupture  of  any  sort  with  the  king;  so,  hav- 
ing, probably  by  a  handsome  gift,  secured  the  good  offices 
of  Blastus,  the  chamberlain,  they  obtained  a  reconciliation, 
and  in  their  fulsome  adulation  used  words  of  blasphemy, 
which  Herod  knew  were  altogether  inappropriate  to  him,  but 
which  he  did  not  put  from  him.  In  the  midst  of  all  this 
pomp,  he  was  smitten  with  a  deadly  disease  in  the  bowels, 
and  in  five  days  he  was  no  more. 

The  history  of  Josephus  is  here  so  interesting,  and  so 
tends  not  only  to  confirm,  but  also  to  illustrate,  the  narrative 
before  me,  that  I  shall  transcribe  it  entirely.  You  will  ob- 
serve, as  I  do  so,  how  characteristic  it  is  of  divine  inspira- 
tion that  Luke  makes  no  mention  of  the  ill-omened  owl, 
which  is  so  prominent  in  the  story  of  the  Jew  :  "  Now,  when 


3IO  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

Agrippa  had  reigned  three  years  over  all  Judea,  he  came  to 
the  city  Cesarea,  which  was  formerly  called  Strato's  tow- 
er ;  and  there  he  exhibited  shows  in  honor  of  Cesar,  upon 
his  being  informed  that  there  was  a  certain  festival  cele- 
brated to  make  vows  for  his  safety.  At  which  festival  a 
great  multitude  was  gotten  together  of  the  principal  persons 
and  such  as  were  of  dignity  through  his  province.  On  the 
second  day  of  the  shows,  he  put  on  a  garment  of  silver  tissue, 
and  of  a  texture  truly  wonderful,  and  came  into  the  theatre 
early  in  the  morning.  The  silver  of  his  garment,  being  illu- 
minated by  the  fresh  reflection  of  the  sun's  rays  upon  it, 
shone  out  after  a  surprising  manner,  and  was  so  resplendent 
as  to  spread  a  horror  over  those  that  looked  intently  upon 
him.  Presently  his  flatterers  cried  out,  one  from  one  place, 
and  another  from  another  (though  not  for  his  good),  that  he 
was  a  god ;  and  they  added, '  Be  thou  merciful  to  us ;  for  al- 
though we  have  hitherto  reverenced  thee  only  as  a  man,  yet 
shall  we  henceforth  own  thee  as  superior  to  mortal  nature.' 
Upon  this  the  king  did  neither  rebuke  them  nor  reject 
their  impious  flattery.  But  as  he  presently  afterward  looked 
up,  he  saw  an  owl  sitting  on  a  certain  rope  over  his  head, 
and  immediately  understood  that  this  bird  was  the  messen- 
ger of  evil  tidings,  as  it  had  once  been  the  messenger  of 
good  tidings  to  him,  and  fell  into  the  deepest  sorrow.  A 
severe  pain  also  arose  in  his  belly,  and  began  in  a  most  vio- 
lent manner.  He  therefore  looked  upon  his  friends,  and 
said,  '  I  whom  you  call  a  god  am  commanded  presently  to 
depart  this  life.  While  Providence  thus  reproves  the  lying 
words  you  just  now  said  to  me,  and  I,  who  was  by  you  called 
immortal,  am  immediately  to  be  hurried  away  by  death. 
But  I  am  bound  to  accept  of  what  Providence  allots,  as  it 
pleases  God ;  for  we  have  by  no  means  lived  ill,  but  in  a 
splendid  and  happy  manner.'  When  he  had  said  this,  his 
pain  became  violent.     Accordingly,  he  was  carried  into  his 


Peter  Prayed  Out  of  Prison.  311 

palace ;  and  when  he  had  been  quite  worn  out  by  the  pain, 
in  five  days  he  departed  this  life."*  Thus  far  Josephus. 
Luke,  as  himself  a  medical  man,  tells  us  the  nature  of  his 
disease:  "He  was  eaten  of  worms;"  and  with  deep  sugges- 
tiveness,  after  this  proof  of  the  transient  glory  of  earthly 
greatness,  he  adds,  "  but  the  word  of  God  grew  and  multi- 
plied." 

And  now,  having  given  such  amplification  and  explication 
as  seemed  needful  to  the  full  understanding  of  the  history, 
I  close  by  enforcing  one  or  two  practical  inferences. 

Let  us  learn,  in  the  first  place,  the  true  unity  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  The  Apostle  Paul  has  told  us  that  when  one 
member  of  the  body  suffers,  all  the  members  suffer  with  it, 
and  here  we  see  how  the  assault  that  was  made  on  Peter  af- 
fected all  the  saints  in  Jerusalem.  They  knew  that  the 
Church  did  not  rest  on  him,  but  was  founded  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  They  believed  also  that  even  if  Peter  had 
been  put  to  death  at  this  time,  God  could  and  would  have 
raised  up  another  who  should  enter  into  his  labors,  and  carry 
on  the  work  with  which  the  son  of  Jonas  was  identified.  Yet 
they  could  not  contemplate  his  removal  from  them  without 
dismay.  He  had  been  a  leader  among  them.  They  had 
been  accustomed  to  rely  on  his  judgment.  They  had  learn- 
ed to  love  him  for  the  frankness  of  his  nature  and  the  gen- 
erous impulses  of  his  heart;  and  they  could  hardly  conceive 
what  the  Church  w^ould  be  like  without  him.  They  felt  re- 
garding him  as  Luther  felt  regarding  Melanchthon  on  that 
memorable  occasion  when,  with  amazing  boldness,  the  great 
Reformer  told  the  Lord  that  he  could  not  do  without  his 
Philip,  and  must  have  him  by  his  side.  And  so  they  had  in 
him  not  an  interest  of  benevolence  alone,  but  one  of  identity. 
They  were  afflicted  in  his  affliction,  and  Peter's  extremity 

*  Josephus,  "  Antiquities,"  19,  8,  2. 


312  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

was  their  extremity.  Indeed,  so  far  as  appears,  the  concern 
throughout  was  felt  by  them  rather  than  by  him.  He  was, 
we  may  suppose,  like  Paul,  in  that  strange  dilemma  —  not 
knowing  what  to  choose ;  having  a  desire  to  depart  and  to 
be  with  Christ,  yet  willing  to  remain  in  the  flesh  for  their 
sakes.     But  they  were  deeply  moved. 

Now,  all  this  illustrates  the  unity  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 
Let  one  child  in  the  home  be  smitten  with  disease,  and  all 
the  members  of  the  family  are  deeply  affected.  Let  some 
public-spirited  patriot  be  stricken  by  some  terrible  calamity, 
and  the  whole  nation  feels  the  blow.  But  even  more  keenly 
than  in  such  cases  as  these  the  Christian  feels  the  affliction 
of  a  brother  in  the  Lord ;  and  if  the  troubled  one  be  emi- 
nent as  a  leader  in  the  sacramental  host,  the  feeling  is  pro- 
portionately intense. 

There  is  nothing  which  merges  relationship  into  identity 
so  thoroughly  as  the  Gospel.  In  Christ  we  are  all  one  ;  and 
so  each  feels  the  other's  woe.  But  then,  on  the  other  hand, 
Christ  feels  with  us  all ;  for  "in  all  our  afflictions  he  is  afflict- 
ed, and  the  angel  of  his  presence  saves  us."  This  is  the  true 
brotherhood.  Better  than  all  secret  badges,  or  mystic  grasps, 
or  talismanic  pass-words,  is  this  "  union  in  Christ ;"  for  it 
opens  every  Christian's  heart  to  us,  and  gives  each  believer 
a  personal  interest  in  our  welfare.  The  Church  of  Christ 
ought  to  be  the  most  helpful  and  loving  society  in  the  world ; 
and  if  it  were  what  it  ought  to  be,  there  would  be  no  clamor- 
ing or  craving  among  men  for  some  other  association  to  meet 
their  needs.  If  you  wish  to  keep  your  neighbor  from  steal- 
ing the  water  from  your  spring,  you  must  dig  deeper  than 
he ;  and  if  we  would  do  away  with  the  necessity  for  all  mys- 
tic associations,  we  must  make  the  Church  of  Christ  more 
like  its  divine  ideal  than  it  is  now  among  us. 

Let  us  learn,  in  the  second  place,  the  power  of  earnest,  be- 
lieving, and  united  prayer.     Observe  this  statement  made  by 


Peter  Prayed  Out  of  Prison.  313 

the  historian:  "Prayer  was  made  without  ceasing,  of  the 
Church  unto  God  for  him ;"  and  then  mark  how  the  answer 
came.  It  was  long  delayed.  The  last  night  had  arrived.  The 
hearts  of  the  suppliants  might  be  beginning  to  fail,  yet  they 
continued  their  petitioning,  and  lo  !  at  the  darkest  hour  the 
dawn  began  to  break !  Now  here  is  an  example  for  us.  We 
are  not  warranted  to  expect  such  answers  as  that  which  in 
those  days  of  miracle  was  vouchsafed  to  the  Church  of  Jeru- 
salem ;  yet  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  God  would  sooner 
work  a  miracle  like  that  here  described  than  suffer  his  faith- 
fulness to  fail,  or  let  his  cause  be  permanently  put  back.  For 
the  resources  of  the  universe  are  at  his  command,  and  it  is 
equally  easy  for  him  to  answer  prayer  through  the  ordinary 
operations  of  his  providence,  or  through  the  bringing  of  new 
causes  into  operation. 

What  we  have  to  remember  is  that  he  is  the  hearer  of 
prayer.  We  do  not  thoroughly  believe  that,  else  there  would 
be  more  definiteness,  directness,  and  what  I  may  call  bus- 
iness-like purpose  in  our  petitions.  We  do  not  receive,  be- 
cause we  do  not  ask.  Is  it  not  the  fact  that  when  we  have 
concluded  our  devotions,  it  would  often  puzzle  us  to  tell 
what  we  have  been  praying  for?  And  then  when  we  have 
asked  for  certain  things,  we  have  become  discouraged  be- 
cause we  have  not  had  an  immediate  answer.  Have  we  for- 
gotten the  story  of  the  Syrophenician  woman  ?  or  the  in- 
junction of  the  Lord  that  we  are  to  "knock  that  it  may  be 
opened  unto  us  ?"  Why  are  we  thus  disheartened  ?  and  why 
are  God's  answers  thus  delayed }  It  may  be  because,  in  our 
pride  of  heart,  we  are  desirous  of  sharing  in  the  glory  of  the 
answer.  Have  you  marked  these  words  in  the  doxology  to 
the  Lord's  Prayer,  "  for  thine  is  the  glory  ?"  Ah  !  when  we 
are  willing  that  all  the  glory  shall  go  to  God,  the  blessing  is 
not  far  from  our  hands.  Or,  again,  it  may  be  because  God 
wishes  to  develop  patience  in  us,  or  to  bring  our  faith  to  some 

14 


314  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

such  height  as  that  of  her  to  whom  he  said,  "  Oh,  woman, 
great  is  thy  faith  !"  But,  in  any  case,  if  we  were  more  defi- 
nite in  our  petitions,  and  more  continuous  in  our  prayers,  we 
should  see  more  frequently  the  results  for  which  we  long. 
The  philosophy  and  the  discussions  of  our  times  have  made 
us  feel  almost  as  if  we  needed  to  apologize  for  offering  prayer; 
and  so  even  the  Church  has  been  weakened  by  the  material- 
ism of  the  age.  But  all  that  is  the  merest  folly;  for  if  we 
believe  that  God  is — or,  to  put  it  in  another  form,  that  there 
is  a  God  —  then  he  can  help  his  creatures  when  they  call 
upon  him. 

They  tell  us  of  the  fixed  laws  of  nature ;  but  who  dares 
maintain  that  He  who  fixed  these  laws  can  not  use  them 
for  the  purpose  of  answering  his  people's  prayers  ?  There 
are  postal  laws  in  this  country ;  but  are  the  facilities  for 
answering  letters  through  these  laws  open  to  all  but  those 
members  of  Congress  who  have  made  them  ?  The  very 
thought  is  absurd.  And  yet  men  who  are  using  the  laws 
of  nature  every  day  to  help  their  fellows  when  they  call 
on  them — like  medical  men,  for  example — will  deny  to  the 
God  who  made  these  laws  the  liberty  which  they  are  daily 
exercising  for  themselves.  Nay,  more  ;  may  not  God,  as  in 
this  case  before  us,  sometimes  send  an  answer  to  his  serv- 
ant, as  I  may  say,  by  the  hand  of  an  angelic  express.?  If  I 
do  not  put  a  letter  in  the  pillar  at  the  street-corner,  may  I 
not  in  my  chamber  telegraph  for  a  message-boy,  and  send 
him  on  with  an  immediate  answer?  and  am  I  breaking  the 
postal  laws  when  I  do  that  ?  Nay,  I  am  only  bringing  a  new 
cause  into  operation  for  the  producing  of  a  new  effect.  I 
may  send  my  little  liveried  telegraph  messenger,  but  God 
may  not  send  his  angel !  Oh,  brethren  !  when  one  thinks 
of  the  learned  nonsense  that  has  been  written  on  this  sub- 
ject, it  is  hard  to  speak  regarding  it  in  terms  of  moderation. 
But  argument  will  not  answer  it.     Nothing  will  put  a  stop 


Peter  Prayed  Out  of  Prison.  315 

to  it  save  the  earnest  prayerfulness  of  Christ's  own  people. 
Give  us  a  few  John  Knoxes  in  the  Church  concerning  whom 
men  will  say,  "We  fear  their  prayers  more  than  armed  an- 
tagonists," and  then  we  shall  hear  no  more  of  prayer-gauges, 
and  be  able  to  defy  all  the  objections  of  philosophy.  The 
Churcli^  of  Jerusalem  prayed  Peter  out  of  prison.  Let  that 
fact  sustain  us  while  we  supplicate  for  those  who  are  spirit- 
ually imprisoned,  that  they  may  be  set  free. 

Let  us  learn,  in  the  third  place,  that  while  earthly  glory 
fades,  the  word  of  the  Lord  endureth  forever.  See  how  soon 
Herod  disappears.  Like  a  foam-bell  on  the  stream,  he  daz- 
zled men's  eyes  for  a  moment  with  the  reflection  of  the  sun- 
light ;  and  then,  like  it  too,  he  burst  and  disappeared.  The 
shouting  of  the  idolatrous  crowd  could  not  keep  away  retri- 
bution from  his  door.  No  Roman  sentinel  could  turn  back 
from  his  palace-gate  that  pale  horse  which  bore  the  rider 
whose  name  is  Death.  He  went  to  his  own  place.  And  all 
his  efforts  to  retard  the  progress  of  the  Gospel  were  in  vain, 
for  "the  word  of  God  grew  and  multiplied." 

Even  as  a  policy,  persecution  is  a  mistake ;  for  it  always 
haloes  with  a  certain  glory  the  cause  of  those  who  suffer. 
Therefore,  though  the  Gospel  had  been  false,  the  course  of 
Herod  regarding  it  was,  in  the  parlance  of  Talleyrand,  "worse 
than  a  crime — a  blunder."  But  being  true,  the  antagonism 
of  the  king  brought  it  only  into  greater  prominence,  and 
turned  the  hearts  of  the  people  to  its  acceptance. 

Trial  matures  the  Christian,  and  brings  into  greater  con- 
spicuousness  the  graces  of  patience,  fortitude,  faith,  and  for- 
giveness of  injuries ;  so  that  they  who  look  upon  the  con- 
fessor in  the  court,  or  the  martyr  at  the  stake,  are  moved  to 
think  of  Him  in  whose  strength  alone,  and  for  whose  sake 
alone,  these  characteristics  are  manifested.  Thus  it  has 
come  that  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  is  the  seed  of  the  Church. 
This  has  been  the  case  in  all  ages.     The  death  of  Stephen 


3i6  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

had  its  glorious  outcome  in  the  conversion  of  Paul ;  and  in 
the  early  days  of  the  Scottish  Reformation  it  was  said  that 
the  smoke  of  Patrick  Hamilton  infected  all  on  whom  it  blew. 
So,  in  the  present  day,  the  sources  of  that  great  religious 
movement  which  has  changed  the  whole  face  of  the  island 
of  Madagascar  are  to  be  found  in  the  persecutions  with 
which  the  first  Christians  there  were  assailed.  It  is  another 
application  of  the  Saviour's  words,  "  Except  a  corn  of  wheat 
fall  into  the  ground  and  die,  it  abideth  alone ;  but  if  it  die, 
it  bringeth  forth  much  fruit."  There  are  worse  things  than 
persecution  for  Christ's  sake,  and  among  these  is  that  sup- 
ple conformity  to  the  world,  that  easy  indifference,  which 
bends  to  every  influence,  and  has  no  principle  of  resistance 
in  it.  That  way  lies  the  danger  of  the  Church  of  to-day ; 
and  it  would  not  suffer  from  a  storm  if  only  the  chaff  were 
to  be  thereby  separated  from  the  wheat.  Indeed,  it  never 
really  suffers  from  persecution,  for  the  true  Church  is  as  in- 
destructible as  Christ,  and  "  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  pre- 
vail against  it." 

I  can  not  allow  myself  to  conclude  this  discourse  without 
bringing  before  you  a  little  poem  by  a  gifted  Presbyterian 
minister  of  England,^'  now  in  heaven,  which  in  the  most  ex- 
quisite manner  uses  the  apostolic  narrative  to  illustrate  the 
death  of  the  Christian,  and  to  administer  consolation  to  the 
bereaved.  Never  since  I  first  saw  it  have  I  been  able  to 
read  this  chapter  without  recalling  its  exquisite  lines  to  mem- 
ory ;  and  I  am  sure  that  many  among  you  will  thank  me  for 
bringing  them  to  your  notice.     They  are  as  follows : 

"  The  apostle  slept ;  a  light  shone  in  the  prison  ; 
An  angel  touched  his  side  ; 
'Arise  !'  he  said,  and  quickly  he  hath  risen, 
His  fettered  arms  untied, 

*  The  Rev.  J.  D.  Burns,  of  Hampstead,  London. 


Peter  Prayed  Out  of  Prison.  317 

"  The  watchers  saw  no  light  at  midnight  gleaming, 
They  heard  no  sound  of  feet ; 
The  gates  fly  open,  and  the  saint,  still  dreaming, 
Stands  free  upon  the  street. 

"  So  when  the  Christian's  eyelid  droops  and  closes, 
In  nature's  parting  strife, 
A  friendly  angel  stands  where  he  reposes, 
To  wake  him  up  to  life. 

"He  gives  a  gentle  blow,  and  so  releases 
The  spirit  from  its  clay ; 
From  sin's  temptations  and  from  life's  distresses 
He  bids  it  come  away. 

"  It  rises  up,  and  from  its  darksome  mansion 
It  takes  its  silent  flight ; 
And  feels  its  freedom  in  the  large  expansion 
Of  heavenly  air  and  light. 

"  Behind,  it  hears  Time's  iron  gates  close  faintly ; 
It  is  now  far  from  them  ; 
For  it  has  reached  the  city  of  the  saintly — 
The  new  Jerusalem. 

"  A  voice  is  heard  on  earth  of  kinsfolk  weeping 
The  loss  of  one  they  love  ; 
But  he  is  gone  where  the  redeemed  are  keeping 
A  festival  above. 

"  The  mourners  throng  the  ways,  and  from  the  steeple 
The  funeral-bell  tolls  slow  ; 
But  on  the  golden  streets  the  holy  people 
Are  passing  to  and  fro  ; 

'"And  saying,  as  they  meet,  'Rejoice  !  another, 
Long  waited  for,  is  come  :' 
The  Saviour's  heart  is  glad,  a  younger  brother 
Hath  reached  the  Father's  home." 


xxr. 

PETER  WITHSTOOD  BY  PAUL  AT  ANTIOCH. 

Galatians  ii.,  11-21. 

AFTER  the  escape  of  Peter  from  the  prison  at  Jerusa- 
lem, he  does  not  appear  again  in  the  apostoHc  narra- 
tive until  the  meeting  of  the  council  which  was  held  for  the 
settlement  of  the  circumcision  controversy.  That  discus- 
sion had  originated  at  Antioch,  whither  certain  Jews  had 
gone  from  Jerusalem,  and  where  they  had  insisted  that  con- 
formity to  the  law  of  Moses  was  essential  to  salvation  even 
through  Christ.  Paul  and  Barnabas,  who  were  in  Antioch 
at  the  time,  and  who  saw  the  gravity  of  the  crisis,  affecting, 
as  it  did,  the  great  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith,  and  the 
hope  of  the  Gentile  nations,  met  these  strangers  with  un- 
compromising opposition.  But  as  they  came  from  the  Holy 
City,  and  might  seem,  therefore,  to  be  acting  under  the  sanc- 
tion of  the  mother  Church,  it  was  determined  that  certain 
delegates  should  accompany  Barnabas  and  Paul  to  Jerusa- 
lem, to  submit  the  whole  question  to  the  apostles  and  elders 
there. 

When  the  assembly  was  convened,  there  was  at  first  con- 
siderable discussion  ;  but  at  length  Peter  gave  the  weight  of 
his  influence  in  favor  of  the  fullest  freedom  to  the  Gentile 
believers.  He  rehearsed  again  the  incidents  whicli  in  his 
own  experience  had  happened  before  and  after  his  preach- 
ing in  the  household  of  Cornelius,  and  characterized  the 
law  of  Moses  as  a  yoke  which  neither  they  nor  their  fathers 
had  been  able  to  bear. 


Peter  Withstood  by  Paul  at  Antioch.         319 

He  was  followed  by  Barnabas  and  Paul,  who  "  declared 
what  miracles  and  wonders  God  had  wrought  among  the 
Gentiles  by  them."  And  then  James  came  forward  with  a 
compromise,  which,  after  the  sweeping  statements  of  Peter, 
the  assembly  was  now  quite  ready  to  accept.  He  was  care- 
ful, however,  in  the  outset,  to  declare  his  perfect  agreement 
in  principle  with  Peter,  and  expressed  his  conviction  that 
God  had  prepared  for  himself  a  people  from  among  the  Gen- 
tiles. These  statements  he  fortified  by  an  appeal  to  the 
prophecy  of  Amos,  which  must  have  had  great  weight  with 
those  who  were  willing  to  be  taught  out  of  the  Scriptures. 
He  could  not  think,  therefore,  of  compelling  the  Gentiles  to 
submit  to  circumcision,  for  that  would  have  been  to  give  up 
the  principle  which  he  had  first  assented  to ;  but  he  coun- 
seled, not  as  a  matter  of  absolute  duty,  but  as  a  thing  ex- 
pedient in  the  circumstances,  that  they  should  abstain  from 
those  practices  which  were  particularly  offensive  to  a  scrupu- 
lous Jew,  namely,  from  eating  meat  offered  to  idols,  from 
blood,  from  strangled  animals,  and  from  fornication.  This 
advice  met  with  general  acceptance,  and  on  its  being  re- 
duced to  writing,  it  was  sent  to  Antioch  by  the  hands  of  Ju- 
das Barsabas  and  Silas. 

Thus  far,  therefore,  Paul  and  Peter  were  in  absolute  har- 
mony. The  apostle  of  the  Gentiles  could  not  have  wished 
for  a  broader  assertion  of  the  abrogation  of  the  law  of  Mo- 
ses than  that  which  had  been  made  by  the  apostle  of  the 
circumcision  ;  and  though  they  might  have  preferred  a  de- 
cree which  would  have  been  more  sweeping  in  its  terms, 
they  were  both  willing,  for  the  sake  of  weaker  brethren,  to 
sacrifice  liberty  for  peace. 

But  not  long  after  this  amicable  settlement  of  the  ques- 
tion at  Jerusalem,  Peter  himself  seems  to  have  visited  Anti- 
och, and  then  it  was  that  he  was  guilty  of  such  vacillation 
as  constrained  Paul  to  withstand  him  to  the  face. 


320  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

The  only  account  which  we  have  of  the  circumstances  is 
that  which  Paul  has  given  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians, 
and  from  that  it  appears  that  at  first  Peter  mingled  freely 
with  the  Gentiles,  even  eating  with  them,  and  going  out  and 
in  among  them,  just  as  he  would  have  done  if  they  had  been 
Jews.  But  after  a  time,  some  scrupulous  believers  from  Je- 
rusalem made  their  appearance  at  Antioch,  and  then,  from 
fear  of  offending  them,  he  "withdrew  and  separated  him- 
self." The  effect  of  such  conduct  in  such  a  man  was  very 
pernicious,  for  the  Jewish  members  of  the  Antioch  Church 
followed  his  example,  and  even  Barnabas  also  was  carried 
away  by  what  Paul  has  called  their  dissimulation.  We  can 
readily  understand  the  case.  Peter  had  not  changed  his 
principles.  Had  any  one  asked  him,  even  at  that  moment, 
whether  circumcision  were  necessary  to  salvation,  he  would 
have  answered,  without  the  least  degree  of  hesitation,  No. 
But  the  men  from  Jerusalem  got  round  him,  and  wrought 
upon  his  fears.  They  represented,  perhaps,  that  a  great  out- 
cry would  be  made  against  his  conduct  by  his  friends  in  the 
Holy  City ;  that  the  course  which  he  was  taking  would  cre- 
ate controversy,  and  develop  antagonism ;  that  it  would  se- 
riously interfere  with  his  future  comfort,  and  mar  his  after- 
usefulness  ;  and  that  if  he  had  any  regard  whatever  for  his 
own  happiness,  he  should  at  once  retrace  his  steps.  So,  by 
confining  his  attention  to  that  view  of  the  case,  and  careful- 
ly shutting  out  every  other  consideration,  they  effected  their 
purpose ;  and,  after  they  had  succeeded  with  him,  it  was 
easy  to  bring  over  Barnabas,  for  even  his  failings  leaned  in 
the  direction  of  amiability ;  and  if  it  could  be  shown  to  him 
that  the  course  suggested  would  be  agreeable  to  his  old 
friends  at  Jerusalem,  then  he  would  be  moved  to  take  it. 

But  there  was  another  side  to  all  this,  and  that  Paul,  from 
his  intense  interest  in  the  Gentiles,  was  the  first  to  see.  It 
was  a  change  of  conduct  which  in  the  circumstances  would 


Peter  Withstood  by  Paul  at  Antioch.         321 

be  held  as  resulting  from  a  change  of  conviction.  But  Paul 
knew  that  neither  Peter  nor  Barnabas  had  altered  his  opin- 
ion on  the  main  question.  Therefore,  in  assuming  this  at- 
titude toward  the  Gentiles  they  were  guilty  of  dissimulation; 
that  is  to  say,  they  appeared  to  be  what  they  really  were  not. 
While  Peter  believed  as  he  had  always  done  since  his  visit 
to  Cornelius,  his  refusal  now  to  eat  with  the  Gentiles  was 
virtually  also  a  refusal  to  regard  them  as  brethren,  a  confir- 
mation of  the  prejudice  against  them  as  unclean,  and  a  vio- 
lation of  the  compromise  agreed  upon  at  Jerusalem. 

His  error  was  not  one  of  doctrine,  but  of  practice  ;  and  so 
they  are  entirely  at  fault  here  who  bring  up  this  difference 
between  the  apostles  as  if  it  disproved  the  inspiration  of  ei- 
ther or  of  both.  Inspiration  is  one  thing,  sanctification  is 
another.  Both,  indeed,  are  the  effects  of  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  the  soul.  In  the  one  he  employs  the  powers 
of  the  mind  for  the  communication  of  truth  to  others  -,  in 
the  other  he  operates  in  the  formation  of  the  character  of 
the  individual  himself  There  may  be  inspiration  without 
sanctification,  as  in  the  case  of  such  a  one  as  Balaam  ;  and 
there  may  be  sanctification  without  inspiration,  as  in  the  ex- 
perience of  believers  among  ourselves. 

In  respect  of  inspiration,  the  two  apostles  were  upon  an 
equality;  and  the  sermons  and  epistles  of  Peter  are  in  per- 
fect harmony  with  the  discourses  and  letters  of  Paul.  But 
in  respect  of  sanctification,  they  were  different.  Each  had 
his  own  distinctive  excellencies,  and  each  his  own  character- 
istic defects.  In  Peter  there  was  a  generous  impulsiveness, 
which  sometimes  made  him  the  first  in  noble  daring;  and 
occasionally,  as  in  the  instance  before  us,  led  him  to  act 
with  flagrant  inconsistency.  In  Paul  there  was  a  sensitive- 
ness of  conscience,  which  while,  as  in  this  case,  it  moved 
him  to  stand  up  for  the  right,  did  sometimes  border  upon  a 
sternness  that  was  in  danger  of  breaking  the  bruised  reed 

14* 


322  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

and  quenching  the  smoking  flax.  They  were  both  imper- 
fectly sanctified  men,  and  one  may  see  at  a  glance  that  the 
conduct  of  Peter  here  is  quite  in  keeping  with  the  disposi- 
tion which  he  so  frequently  manifested  while  the  Saviour 
was  on  the  earth.  As  Lightfoot  has  well  said,  "It  is  at 
least  no  surprise  that  he  who  at  one  moment  declared  him- 
self ready  to  lay  down  his  life  for  his  Lord's  sake,  and  even 
drew  his  sword  in  defense  of  his  Master,  and  the  next  be- 
trayed him  with  a  thrice-repeated  denial,  should  have  acted 
in  this  case  as  we  infer  he  acted  from  the  combined  ac- 
counts of  Luke  and  Paul.  There  is  the  same  impulsive  cour- 
age, followed  by  the  same  shrinking  timidity.  And  though 
Paul's  narrative  stops  short  of  the  last  scene  in  this  drama, 
it  would  not  be  rash  to  conclude  that  it  ended  as  the  oth- 
er had  ended ;  that  the  revulsion  of  feeling  was  as  sudden 
and  complete ;  and  that  again  he  went  out  and  wept  bitter- 
ly, having  denied  his  Lord  in  the  person  of  these  Gentile 
converts.""^ 

It  scarcely  belongs  to  a  series  of  discourses  on  the  life 
and  character  of  Peter  to  take  cognizance  of  the  procedure 
of  Paul  at  this  trying  time ;  yet  we  can  not  present  a  com- 
plete account  of  the  case  without  including  his  protest.  He 
felt  that  something  ought  to  be  done  to  counteract  the  evil 
which  otherwise  would  result  from  the  conduct  of  Peter; 
and  nothing  could  have  been  better  than  the  course  which 
he  adopted.  He  went  directly  to  his  friend,  and  publicly 
exposed  the  inconsistency  of  which  publicly  he  had  been 
guilty.  He  knew  that  Peter's  deepest  convictions  were  al- 
ready on  his  side.  He  wished  to  make  his  appeal  from  Pe- 
ter in  a  panic  to  Peter  calm  and  rational.  And  in  making 
that  appeal  he  was  sure  that  Peter  had  a  generous  affection 
for  himself,  and  a  genuine  loyalty  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  and 

*  *'  St.  Taul's  Epistle  to  the  Galatians,"  by  J.  B.  Lightfoot,  D.D,,p.  128. 


Peter  Withstood  by  Paul  at  Antioch.         323 

was  deeply  interested  in  tiie  promotion  of  tlie  Gospel  among 
the  Gentiles  as  well  as  among  the  Jews. 

This  explains  both  the  frankness  and  the  fidelity  of  his 
address ;  which  presents  the  finest  possible  combination  of 
firmness  with  delicacy,  and  faithfulness  with  affection.  It 
would  well  repay  the  most  minute  consideration  ;  but  I  must 
be  content  with  setting  before  you  the  substance  of  the  argu- 
ment which  it  contains,  in  the  shape  of  an  expansion  of  his 
words.     It  is  something  like  the  following  : 

If  you  who  are  a  Jew  by  birth,  and  therefore  have  been 
brought  up  under  the  law  of  Moses,  feel  yourself  at  liberty  to 
disregard  its  prohibitions,  and  to  live,  as  you  were  doing  a 
little  while  ago,  after  the  manner  of  the  Gentiles,  it  is  absurd 
in  you  to  oblige  the  Gentiles  to  conform  to  all  the  require- 
ments of  the  Jewish  law.  You  do  not,  indeed,  insist  on  that 
in  so  many  words ;  but  still  the  natural  inference  from  your 
present  withdrawal  from  the  Gentile  Christians  is,  that  you 
have  now  come  to  believe  that  circumcision  is  essential  to  sal- 
vation. For  this  is  not  a  case  of  conforming  to  the  wishes 
of  a  weak  brother ;  it  is  a  complying  with  the  demands  of 
those  who  say,  "  Except  ye  be  circumcised  after  the  man- 
ner of  Moses,  ye  can  not  be  saved."  Now  observe  how 
your  conduct  affects  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  Gos- 
pel. We  who  are  Jews,  having  become  convinced  that  we 
could  not  be  justified  by  the  works  of  the  law,  have  sought 
salvation  through  faith  in  Christ ;  but  if  in  so  doing  we  are, 
after  all,  found  to  be  transgressors,  because  we  have  will- 
fully neglected  the  law  as  an  appointed  means  of  salva- 
tion, then  it  must  follow  that  Christ,  who  taught  us  to  neg- 
lect it  in  that  relation,  has  been  to  us  the  minister  of  sin. 
That  is  a  conclusion  from  which,  of  course,  you  will  shrink 
with  horror ;  still,  you  must  be  prepared  to  face  it,  or  you 
must  admit  that  by  your  present  conduct  you  have  made 
yourself  a  transgressor.     There  is  transgression  somewhere. 


324  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

If  you  were  wrong  before  in  eating  with  the  Gentiles,  then, 
as  you  did  that  under  the  direct  command  of  the  Lord  given 
to  you  in  a  vision,  he  was  to  you  the  minister  of  sin.  But 
if  you  were  right  before,  then  you  are  wrong  now,  and  you 
are  yourself  the  transgressor.  There  is  no  other  alterna- 
tive ;  and  I  know  you  so  well  that,  when  the  matter  is  put 
before  you  in  this  way,  there  will  be  no  hesitation  in  your 
mind  as  to  the  course  you  should  adopt.  Indeed,  the  sim- 
ple truth  is,  that  as  a  believer  in  Christ  I  have  now  no  more 
to  do  with  the  law  of  Moses  for  my  justification.  Through 
the  law  itself,  that  is  to  say,  through  having  its  requirements 
satisfied,  and  its  curse  endured  by  Christ  for  me,  I  died  to 
the  law:  not,  however,  that  I  might  live  a  lawless  life,  but 
rather  that  I  might  live  wholly  to  God.  Nay,  such  is  my 
union  to  the  Redeemer  that  I  am  crucified  with  him,  and  it 
is  no  longer  I  that  live,  but  he  that  liveth  in  me ;  for  the  life 
that  I  live  in  the  flesh  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God, 
who  loved  me  and  gave  himself  for  me.  Hence  I  do  not 
make  the  grace  of  God  unnecessary,  as  I  should  certainly  do 
if  I  were  to  go  back  to  the  law  for  salvation  ;  for  if  it  were 
possible  to  obtain  righteousness  by  the  law,  then  there  was 
no  necessity  for  the  death  of  Christ. 

There  is  nothing  said  as  to  how  Peter  received  this  admo- 
nition; but,  from  what  we  know  of  his  character  and  tempera- 
ment, we  may  conclude  that  he  frankly  owned  his  error,  so 
that  the  Gospel  might  not  be  hindered;  and  we  are  sure 
that  the  affair  left  no  poison  of  bitterness  behind  it,  for  long 
afterward  Peter  writes  of  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles  as  "our 
beloved  brother  Paul." 

Two  different  sets  of  lessons  may  be  drawn  from  this  sub- 
ject, according  as  we  look  at  Peter's  procedure  or  at  Paul's  ; 
and  it  will  give  completeness  to  our  treatment  of  it,  if  we 
set  them  both  briefly  and  pointedly  before  you. 

Looking,  then,  at  Peter's  conduct,  we  may  learn  that  it 


Peter  Withstood  by  Paul  at  Antioch.         325 

is  never  safe  to  act  from  one-sided  views  of  things.  The 
strangers  from  Jerusalem  so  buzzed  about  our  apostle  that 
they  gave  him  no  time  to  think  all  round  the  subject.  They 
filled  his  ears  with  their  forebodings  of  panic,  and  so  moved 
his  heart  with  the  thought  of  the  storm  which  they  alleged 
he  would  have  to  meet  on  his  return  to  the  Holy  City,  that 
he  became  alarmed  and  hastily  decided  to  take  his  place 
among  them.  I  do  not  know  whether  in  planning  their 
campaign  at  Antioch  these  Jews  took  Peter's  temperament 
into  consideration,  but  impulsive  men  are  ever  open  to  just 
such  management ;  and  they  who  care  to  descend  to  work 
upon  their  fears  are  generally  sure  to  win  them  over  in  the 
end.  I  do  not  mean  to  convey  the  impression  that  Peter 
was  always  willowy  and  pliant  in  his  nature.  We  know  oth- 
erwise. We  saw  him  in  the  Council  stand  bravely  before 
the  rulers,  and  shall  never  forget  his  ringing  words  of  un- 
wavering decision,  "We  ought  to  obey  God  rather  than 
men."  So  it  will  not  do  to  call  him  a  coward.  Neither, 
from  an  incident  like  this,  should  we  be  warranted  to  style 
him  a  traitor.  The  truth  seems  to  be  that  he  was  stricken 
with  panic,  as  when  he  was  trying  to  walk  upon  the  waters, 
and  when  he  was  set  upon  by  the  maid -servant  and  the 
lackeys  of  the  high-priest. 

He  was  afraid,  first  of  all,  to  stand  out  against  these  Jews, 
who  had  come  to  Antioch ;  and  finding  him  in  that  mood, 
they  frightened  him  still  farther,  by  conjuring  up  before  his 
imagination  a  terrible  ordeal  through  which  he  would  have 
to  pass  when  he  went  back  to  Jerusalem,  and  so  he  yielded. 
But  he  took  no  note  of  the  injury  which  he  was  doing  to  the 
Gospel,  of  the  sorrow  which  he  was  inflicting  upon  Paul,  or  of 
the  dishonor  which  he  was  doing  to  Christ.  "  Truly  the  fear 
of  man  bringeth  a  snare."  We  are  never  safe  so  long  as  we 
contemplate  any  course  of  conduct  simply  and  only  in  the 
light  of  the  opinions  of  our  fellow-men.     We  have  to  view  it 


326  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

as  in  the  sight  of  God ;  and  it  was  because  Peter  neglected 
to  do  that  on  this  occasion  that  he  fell  so  grievously. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark  in  this  connection  that  when  Christ 
himself  was  set  upon  by  Satan,  he  lifted  the  enticements 
which  the  adversary  put  before  him  up  above  all  merely  hu- 
man considerations,  and  put  them  in  the  light  of  God.  To 
the  first  he  answered,  "  Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone, 
but  by  every  word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God." 
In  the  second  he  replied,  "  Thou  shalt  not  tempt  the  Lord 
thy  God ;"  and  he  met  the  third  with  these  words,  "  Thou 
shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  him  only  shalt  thou 
serve." 

Now,  in  all  this  we  are  taught  that  our  only  safeguard  is 
to  go  to  God  for  the  solution  of  every  question  of  conduct. 
Truly  has  the  Psalmist  said,  "In  thy  light  shall  we  see 
light  clearly."  And  when  we  are  doing  that  which  is  right 
in  the  sight  of  God,  we  need  not  be  afraid  of  men.  Peter 
knew  that  perfectly ;  for  as  we  saw  when  he  was  before  the 
Council,  he  lifted  the  whole  question  in  debate  above  the 
sphere  of  earthly  tribunals,  and  said,  "Whether  it  be  right  in 
the  sight  of  God  to  hearken  unto  you  more  than  unto.  God, 
judge  ye."  But  doing  is  different  from  knowing,  and  the 
fact  that  even  such  a  one  as  Peter  failed  to  carry  out  a  prin- 
ciple which  he  had  himself  so  fully  enunciated  ought  to  be 
a  warning  to  us. 

Let  us  not  take  counsel  too  largely  with  flesh  and  blood. 
Whether  we  act  from  a  regard  to  the  good-will  of  men,  or 
from  the  fear  of  giving  men  offense,  or  with  the  view  of  mak- 
ing them  feel  that  we  are  cold  and  distant  to  them,  we  are 
equally  at  fault.  The  first  thing  we  ought  always  to  seek  is 
to  please  God.  The  determining  elements,  at  all  times  of 
hesitancy,  ought  to  be  these  :  What  will  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  have  me  to  do }  How  will  my  conduct  either  way  af- 
fect the  Gospel  of  Christ  ?     What  is  the  right  in  the  case  as 


Peter  Withstood  by  Paul  at  Antioch.         327 

between  God  and  my  conscience  ?  And  when  we  have  these 
answered,  let  us  go  forward,  no  matter  who  may  be  displeased, 
or  what  predictions  of  strife  and  storm  and  suffering  the  pe- 
trels of  alarm  may  utter.  Who  were  these  Jews  that  Peter 
should  have  feared  them  so  ?  Had  not  God  twice  over  de- 
livered him  from  prison,  and  was  he  not  able  to  protect  him 
still  ?  Ah  !  what  a  firm  hold  nature  has  upon  a  man  !  He 
who  drew  his  sword  in  the  presence  of  the  Roman  band  could 
not  stand  the  banter  of  a  silly  girl.  He  who  patiently  en- 
dured persecution  at  the  hands  of  Herod  fears  these  Jewish 
members  of  the  Christian  Church.  Yet  let  us  not  condemn 
him  overmuch,  for  if  we  look  within  we  may  find  a  Peter  in 
each  breast  among  us. 

Looking  again  at  Peter's  bearing  here,  we  may  learn  that 
when  we  are  withstood  for  being  in  the  wrong  we  should 
take  it  meekly,  and  retrace  our  steps  as  speedily  as  possible. 
I  believe  that  Paul's  appeal  was  not  in  vain.  He  was  too 
noble  to  include  in  a  letter  to  the  Galatians  any  thing  which 
might  seem  to  humiliate  his  brethren  ;  but  from  what  we 
know  of  Peter  on  other  occasions,  we  may  conclude  that  he 
was  as  willing  to  confess  his  fault  as  he  had  been  rash  and 
inconsiderate  in  its  commission.  Indeed,  the  careful  student 
of  his  epistles  will  discover  that  in  this  very  matter  he  is  in 
Ihem  perfectly  at  one  with  Paul.  In  the  letter  to  the  Gala- 
tions,  the  one  apostle  has  said,  "Ye  have  been  called  unto 
liberty  :  only  use  not  your  liberty  for  an  occasion  to  the  flesh, 
but  by  love  serve  one  another ;"  and  in  his  first  epistle  the 
other  has  these  words  :  "As  free,  and  not  using  your  liberty 
for  a  cloak  of  maliciousness,  but  as  the  servants  of  God." 
We  infer,  therefore,  that  he  accepted  Paul's  rebuke  in  the 
spirit  of  meekness.  Very  evidently  he  did  not  believe  in  his 
own  infallibility ;  and  he  was  far  from  resenting  the  course 
which  Paul  had  pursued.  Now,  in  all  this  there  was  a  mag- 
nanimity which  was  worthy  of  all  praise.     So  far  as  appears, 


328  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

he  did  not  become  excited,  and  exclaim  against  Paul  for  pre- 
suming to  think  that  he  could  be  wrong ;  but  he  did  a  far 
more  difficult  and  more  noble  thing :  he  acknowledged  his 
fault,  and  did  his  best  to  undo  its  evil  consequences.  Now, 
here  was  a  triumph  of  grace.  It  may  seem  a  paradox  to  say 
it,  but  there  are  few  things  which  test  a  man's  real  Christian- 
ity more  than  his  bearing  when  he  is  found  fault  with  for  that 
which  is  actually  blameworth3^  It  is  easy  to  guard  against 
giving  offense,  but  it  is  a  harder  matter  to  keep  from  taking 
offense  in  such  a  case  as  this,  and  to  say,  with  the  Psalmist, 
"  Let  the  righteous  smite  me,  it  shall  be  a  kindness ;  and  let 
him  reprove  me,  it  shall  be  an  excellent  oil,  which  shall  not 
break  my  head." 

We  all  assent  to  Solomon's  proverb, "  Open  rebuke  is  bet- 
ter than  secret  love :"  but  when  the  rebuke  comes,  most  of 
us,  on  the  whole,  would  prefer  the  love ;  and  too  frequently 
we  are  disposed  to  resent  the  faithfulness  of  the  brother, 
even  though  he  should  hint  only  in  the  most  delicate  manner 
that  we  have  been  in  the  wrong.  We  all  have  our  faults ; 
and  when  the  statement  is  made  in  that  general  fashion,  we 
can  all  assent  to  it ;  only  when  we  do  we  are  thinking  of 
other  people's  faults  rather  than  our  own  !  We  cry  out 
against  the  dogma  of  papal  infallibility,  but  each  of  us  has 
far  too  much  faith  in  that  of  personal  infallibility ;  for  our 
tempers  are  roused,  and  our  hearts  are  estranged,  by  any 
expostulation  with  us  for  error  or  inconsistency.  How  many 
permanent  alienations  and  pernicious  schisms  might  have 
been  prevented,  if  there  had  been  on  the  one  side  the  manly 
frankness  of  Paul,  and  on  the  other  the  ingenuous  honesty 
and  meekness  of  Peter,  as  they  come  out  in  this  transaction. 

But  now,  turning  to  Paul's  part  in  this  controversy,  we 
may  learn  from  that,  first,  that  before  we  withstand  a  broth- 
er, we  must  be  sure  that  he  is  to  be  blamed,  and  that  the 
occasion  is  such  as  calls  for  our  protest.     Paul  would  not 


Peter  Withstood  by  Paul  at  Antioch,         329 

have  cared  to  interfere  with  Peter  in  any  trifling  matter,  nor 
would  he  have  felt  constrained  to  move  in  the  case  if  any 
more  charitable  construction  could  have  been  put  upon  his 
conduct.  No  one  ever  had  so  full  a  comprehension  of  the 
doctrine  of  Christian  liberty  as  Paul ;  and  no  one  was  ever 
more  jealous  of  any  unwarrantable  interference  with  it  than 
v/as  Paul.  Hence,  if  it  had  not  been  that  the  fundamental 
principle  of  the  Gospel  was  at  stake,  he  would  not  have  said 
a  word.  In  themselves  considered,  the  things  which  Peter 
had  done  were  indifferent ;  but  by  doing  them,  in  the  cir- 
cumstances in  which  at  Antioch  he  was  placed,  he  had  im- 
periled the  freeness  of  salvation  through  Christ ;  and  as  that 
was  dearer  to  Paul  than  friendship,  or  even  life  itself,  he 
could  not  be  silent.  He  practiced  his  own  charity,  which 
"  believeth  all  things ;"  and  if  he  could  have  believed  that 
Peter's  conduct  was  right  from  any  one  point  of  view,  he 
would  have  honored  him  ;  but  seeing  no  explanation  of  his 
procedure  which  was  consistent  with  loyalty  to  the  truth  of 
the  Gospel,  he  spoke  out  against  it — in  love,  indeed,  but  with 
unmistakable  condemnation.  Now,  let  us  withstand  a  broth- 
er only  when  we  are  thus  constrained  to  do  so  by  allegiance 
to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  If  in  any  respects  we  can  not 
approve  of  his  conduct,  while  yet  it  is  susceptible  of  expla- 
nation in  harmony  with  Christian  principle,  let  us  give  him 
the  benefit  and  be  silent.  But  if  the  glory  of  the  Gospel  or 
the  purity  of  the  Church  be  endangered  by  his  procedure,  let 
us  withstand  him.  Nothing  ought  to  be  dearer  to  us  than 
truth  and  purity  ;  and  if  our  brother  is  indulging  in  a  liberty 
which  compromises  these,  or  if  he  is  insisting  on  an  intol- 
erance which  would  make  the  gate  of  life  narrower  than 
Christ  has  left  it,  no  influence  whatever  should  prevent  us 
from  withstanding  him  :  only  let  us  be  sure  that  he  is  doing 
either  of  these  things  before  we  cry  out  against  him. 

Again,  we  may  learn  from  Paul's  conduct  that  we  must 


330  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

not  be  deterred  from  condemning  wrong  by  the  position  of 
him  who  has  done  it.  Peter  was  an  apostle.  He  was,  in 
fact,  one  of  the  pillars  of  the  primitive  Church ;  but  Paul 
was  not  kept,  by  any  consideration  of  these  things,  from 
protesting  against  his  injudicious  and  unseemly  vacillation. 
On  the  contrary,  the  very  prominence  of  Peter  made  it  all 
the  more  important  that  his  inconsistency  should  be  exposed 
and  rectified.  Had  he  been  a  mere  private  member  of  the 
Church,  Paul  might  have  been  disposed  to  pass  his  conduct 
by  with  a  mild  remonstrance.  But  his  very  eminence  as  an 
apostle  gave  importance  to  his  example,  and  made  it  certain 
that,  if  he  remained  uncondemned,  great  evil  would  result. 
Hence  Paul  took  the  course  which  he  adopted.  We  may 
be  sure  that  it  cost  him  much  to  take  the  stand  which  he 
felt  compelled  to  assume ;  but  it  would  have  cost  him  far 
more  to  take  no  notice  of  his  brother's  error.  It  was  not, 
therefore,  because  he  loved  Peter  less,  but  because  he  loved 
the  Gospel  more.  Now,  it  is  the  same  still.  Evil  in  any 
man  is  dangerous,  but  it  is  far  more  so  when  it  appears  in 
the  conduct  of  one  who  is  a  leader  of  the  people  ;  and,  how- 
ever painful  it  may  be  to  oppose  it,  duty  leaves  no  alterna- 
tive in  such  a  case.  We  ought,  lovingly,  indeed,  but  firmly 
and  courageously,  to  withstand  him.  Great  eminence  may 
command  our  respect,  but  Christ  and  his  truth  are  of  more 
importance  even  than  an  apostle  ;  and  nothing  whatever 
should  be  allowed  by  us  as  an  excuse  for  dishonoring  his 
name,  or  compromising  the  principles  of  his  Gospel. 

Finally,  we  may  learn  from  Paul's  conduct  here  that  when 
we  withstand  a  brother,  it  should  be  to  his  face.  Paul  did 
not  go  hither  and  thither  among  the  elders  and  members 
of  the  Church  of  Antioch,  speaking  against  Peter  and  com- 
plaining of  his  conduct,  while,  at  the  same  time,  he  kept  re- 
ligious silence  concerning  it  to  Peter  himself  •  He  did  not 
say  behind  Peter's  back  that  which  he  was  afraid  to  utter 


Peter  Withstood  by  Paul  at  Antioch.         331 

before  his  face ;  but  he  spoke  out  all  that  was  in  his  heart 
openly,  and  to  Peter  himself.  Now,  in  this  also  he  has  left 
us  a  valuable  example.  When  we  have  any  thing  against  a 
brother,  let  us  say  it  to  himself.  Too  often,  alas  !  a  contrary 
method  is  pursued,  both  in  the  Church  and  in  the  world,  and 
men  go  round  the  whole  circle  of  society,  turning  it  into  a 
great  whispering -gallery,  in  which  they  defame  the  charac- 
ter of  one  who  has  no  opportunity  of  vindicating  his  name. 
"  It  is  very  sad,  isn't  it  ?  And  you  must  not  say  that  I  spoke 
to  you  upon  the  subject ;  but  he  has  done  thus  and  so,  and  I 
feel  greatly  distressed ;"  and  so  it  passes  on  from  one  to  an- 
other, gathering  as  it  goes,  until  a  thing  which  might  have 
been  settled  at  first  by  a  few  kindly  words  assumes  a  very 
formidable  appearance,  and  perhaps  ends  in  the  permanent 
estrangement  of  the  persons  more  immediately  concerned, 
while  it  produces  discord  and  heart-burning  in  the  whole 
community.  If  we  have  any  thing  to  say  of  a  brother,  let  us 
say  it  first  to  him.  Let  us  say  nothing  in  his  absence  that 
we  should  be  afraid  to  utter  in  his  presence.  Nor  does  this 
law  concern  the  speaker  only ;  it  has  a  bearing  also  on  the 
hearer;  and  when  any  one  comes  with  an  evil  report  against 
his  neighbor,  let  us  refuse  to  listen  to  him,  unless  he  can  as- 
sure us  that  he  has  said  all  that  he  is  going  to  utter  to  the 
person  whom  it  most  concerns.  "  Where  no  wood  is,  there 
the  fire  goeth  out;"  and  if  all  to  whom  evil  gossip  is  retail- 
ed were  to  shut  their  ears  against  it,  on  the  principle  which 
I  have  just  enunciated,  we  should  %pon  banish  it  from  our 
homes.  Who  would  harbor  an  assassin  in  his  house  ?  Yet 
the  man  who  strikes  at  a  neighbor's  character  in  his  absence 
is  as  bad  as  he  who,  with  stealthy  stiletto,  stabs  the  unwary 
victim  from  behind.  If  we  must  withstand  a  brother,  there- 
fore, let  us  do  it  to  his  face. 


XXII. 

LETTERS  AND  LAST  DAYS. 

AFTER  the  incidents  which  occurred  at  Antioch,  and 
which  formed  the  subject  of  our  last  discourse,  we 
have  no  account  of  Peter  in  the  New  Testament  until  we 
come  to  his  first  epistle.  Paul,  indeed,  alludes  to  a  party  in 
the  Church  of  Corinth,  which  called  itself  after  Cephas  ;  and 
we  may  almost  infer  from  his  words  that  Peter  had  been  for 
some  time  in  the  city  on  the  isthmus  ;  for  as  he  speaks  of 
Cephas  precisely  as  he  does  of  himself  and  of  Apollos,  the 
presumption  is  that  the  faction  had  formed  itself  in  connec- 
tion with  a  personal  visit.  This  is  in  some  degree  confirmed 
by  the  reference  made  by  Paul  in  the  same  letter  to  Peter's 
custom  of  taking  his  wife  with  him  in  his  apostolic  journeys, 
which  seems  to  intimate  that  he  had  been  at  Corinth  accom- 
panied by  his  partner.  But  though,  in  the  divided  state  of 
the  Corinthian  Church,  one  section  called  itself  after  Ce- 
phas, it  must  not  be  supposed  that,  even  if  he  did  visit  Cor- 
inth, he  was  in  the  least  degree  responsible  for  the  doings 
of  the  schismatic  party  which  used  his  name. 

There  is  no  evidence^o  show  that  the  ritualistic  party  in 
the  primitive  churches  received  the  slightest  countenance 
from  him,  except  on  the  one  unfortunate  occasion  at  Anti- 
och, when,  under  the  influence  of  panic,  he  was  guilty  of  ap- 
parent vacillation.  At  all  other  times  he  spoke  and  acted 
in  perfect  harmony  with  his  utterances  at  the  Council  of  Je- 
rusalem ;  and  the  manner  in  which  Paul  uniformly  refers  to 
him  in  his  epistles  to  the  Corinthians  makes  it  absolutely 


Letters  and  Last  Days.  ^^^ 

certain  that  Peter  was  guiltless  of  doing  or  saying  any  thing 
to  cause  divisions  among  them. 

When  Peter  wrote  his  first  epistle  (the  genuineness  of 
which,  universally  acknowledged  in  the  ancient  Church,  has 
been  fully  sustained,  after  the  most  searching  scrutiny  by 
modern  critics),  he  was  at  Babylon  on  the  Euphrates.  An 
attempt,  indeed,  has  been  made  to  prove  that  this  term 
means  Rome ;  but  such  a  view  is  ludicrous  in  itself,  and,  for 
the  Church  in  whose  interests  it  is  advanced,  destructive. 
The  dating  of  a  serious  letter  is  not  an  occasion  on  which 
one  would  naturally  use  an  allegorical  name.  Moreover,  it 
was  not  until  long  after  the  publication  of  the  Apocalypse 
that  the  use  of  Babylon  for  Rome  became  intelligible  even 
in  an  allegorical  sense.  While,  again,  if  it  be  insisted  on 
that  by  Babylon  Peter  actually  meant  Rome,  then  to  Rome 
must  belong  the  character  and  doom  of  the  apocalyptic  Bab- 
ylon ;  so  that  whatever  of  prestige  the  Imperial  City  might 
claim  from  the  presence  of  Peter  in  it  when  he  wrote  this 
letter  is  more  than  neutralized  by  the  inferences  which  must 
be  drawn  from  the  assumption  on  which  such  a  claim  is 
based.  There  is,  therefore,  no  good  reason  to  doubt  that 
when  Peter  sent  forth  this  letter  he  was  laboring  in  the 
well-known  city  of  that  name  on  the  banks  of  the  Eu- 
phrates. 

This  natural  view  of  the  case  is  confirmed,  rather  than 
otherwise,  by  the  fact  that  in  its  decayed  state,  and  long  aft- 
er the  great  majority  of  its  other  inl^^bitants  had  left  it,  Baby- 
lon continued  to  be  the  residence  of  many  Jews  ;  and  though 
in  the  last  years  of  Caligula  there  had  been  a  persecution  of 
the  descendants  of  Abraham  there,  in  consequence  of  which 
many  had  fled  to  Seleucia,  yet  in  the  twenty  years  which  had 
elapsed  between  that  date  and  the  time  of  the  writing  of  this 
letter  we  may  conclude  that  their  number  had  once  more  in- 
creased to  such  an  extent  as  to  make  the  place  a  most  invit- 


334  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

ing  field  of  labor  for  him  who  was  pre-eminently  the  Apostle 
of  the  Circumcision. 

From  the  letter  itself  we  learn  that  Peter  was  at  the  mo- 
ment associated  with  Mark,  and  that  he  employed  Silvanus 
to  carry  it  to  the  brethren  to  whom  it  is  addressed.  Now, 
these  two  facts  are  interesting  from  their  bearing  on  the  date 
of  the  epistle,  and  on  the  state  of  feeling  between  Peter  and 
Paul. 

In  the  first  place,  as  to  the  date.  When  Paul  wrote,  dur- 
ing his  first  imprisonment,  to  the  Colossians,  he  speaks  of 
Mark  as  having  been  a  comfort  to  him  at  Rome,  and  says, 
"  If  he  come  unto  you,  receive  him."  Now  that  implies  that 
Mark  was  then  projecting  a  journey  into  Asia.  Again,  in 
his  second  letter  to  Timothy  (iv.,  ii),  which  was  written  by 
Paul  during  his  second  imprisonment,  he  says,  "  Take  Mark 
and  bring  him  with  thee ;  for  he  is  profitable  to  me  for  the 
ministry."  Now,  as  Timothy  was  at  this  time  in  Asia,  we 
have  evidence  that  Mark  had  carried  out  his  intention,  and 
that  in  the  interval  between  Paul's  first  and  second  impris- 
onment he  had  gone  from  Rome  to  the  East.  But  here,  in 
Peter's  first  epistle,  he  is  found  with  the  Apostle  of  the  Cir- 
cumcision at  Babylon,  and  so,  as  the  inference  which  is  most 
natural  in  all  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  we  conclude  that 
his  visit  to  Peter  was  made  on  the  occasion  of  the  journey 
into  Asia,  to  which  we  have  just  referred,  and  thus  we  date 
this  letter  at  some  time  between  Paul's  first  and  second  im- 
prisonment, that  is,  between  the  years  6$  and  67  of  our  era. 

But  it  is  no  less  interesting  to  remark  that  these  two 
friends  who  were  with  Peter  when  he  wrote  this  letter  stood 
high  in  the  confidence  of  Paul.  Mark,  indeed,  had  been  the 
occasion  of  a  sharp  contention  between  Paul  and  Barnabas ; 
but  subsequently,  as  we  have  just  seen,  he  regained  his  place 
in  the  heart  of  the  apostle,  and  he  was  one  of  those  for  whose 
presence  he  longed  as  he  lay,  weary  and  lonesome,  in  the 


Letters  and  Last  Days.  335 

Roman  dungeon.  Silvanus,  whom  we  identify  with  the  Silas 
of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  had  been  with  Paul  in  his  sec- 
ond journey  through  Asia  Minor  into  Macedonia.  He  shared 
his  imprisonment  at  Philippi,  and  took  part  in  his  evangelist- 
ic work  at  Corinth  ;  nay,  so  highly  did  Paul  esteem  him,  that 
he  associated  him  with  himself  in  his  epistles  to  the  Thessa- 
lonians.  He  stood  apparently  next  to  Timothy  and  Luke  in 
the  affection  and  esteem  of  Paul ;  and  it  is  not  by  any  means 
improbable  that  this  visit  to  Babylon  was  made  by  him  at 
the  suggestion  of  the  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  obtaining  from  Peter  some  written  exhortations 
which  might  be  valuable  to  the  believers  scattered  through- 
out Asia  Minor. 

Now,  when  we  put  all  these  things  together,  we  have  a 
beautiful  evidence  of  the  truth  that  these  two  apostles,  in 
spite  of  the  error  committed  by  the  one  and  the  protest  ut- 
tered by  the  other  at  Antioch,  were  still  full  of  affection  for 
each  other,  and  were  both  characterized  by  loyalty  to  Christ. 
Peter,  though  laboring  personally  in  a  city  chiefly  inhabited 
by  Jews,  writes  to  brethren  who  were  principally  Gentiles ; 
and  in  his  letter  there  is  no  narrow  exclusiveness,  but  rath- 
er the  widest  comprehension  consistent  with  allegiance  to 
Christ,  and  a  spirit  perfectly  in  harmony  with  the  writings 
of  his  beloved  brother  Paul. 

The  character  of  the  epistle  is  described  by  himself  in  ■■ 
these  words  :  "  I  have  written  briefly,  exhorting  and  testify-  I 
ing  that  this  is  the  true  grace  of  God  wherein  ye  stand." 
The  letter  is  thus  an  exhortation  and  a  testimony,  or  a  se- 
ries of  counsels,  founded  on  and  confirmed  by  experience. 
I  know  not  whether,  in  writing  it,  the  words  of  the  Lord  to 
him  at  the  supper-table,  "When  thou  art  converted,  strength- 
en thy  brethren,"  were  distinctly  present  to  his  memory  ;  but 
the  establishment  of  the  brotherhood  in  time  of  trial  was  the 
great  object  which  he  had  in  view. 


I     pith  of 
,^    I     trial  wl 


336  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

Those  to  whom  it  was  addressed  were  passing  through 
persecution,  originating  partly  in  their  separation  from  the 
amusements  and  dissoluteness  in  which  they  had  lived  prior 
to  their  conversion ;  and  they  are  exhorted  to  stand  fast  in 
their  allegiance  to  Jesus  and  his  truth.  There  is  not  in  the 
letter  the  same  logical  unity  and  coherence  which  we  find  in 
the  more  important  epistles  of  Paul,  for  the  writer  returns 
again  and  again  to  topics  which  he  has  already  handled ; 
but  we  have,  throughout,  the  ardor  which  we  have  seen  so 
frequently  in  the  conduct  of  its  author,  while  as  the  result, 
perhaps,  of  the  mellowing  influence  of  years,  we  have  a  ten- 
der and  pathetic  under-tone  which  moves  the  heart  of  every 
reader. 

Two  things  about  it  impress  every  careful  student.  These 
are,  first,  the  frequent  references  which  its  author  makes  to 
the  sufferings  of  Christ ;  and,  second,  the  repeated  allusions 
which  he  makes  to  the  future  glory  of  the  believer.  We 
have  not  forgotten  how,  after  his  noble  confession  of  the 
Lord's  Messiahship,  when  he  heard  the  first  plain  reference 
to  the  Master's  death,  he  made  rash  and  unbelieving  reply : 
"Be  it  far  from  thee.  Lord;  this  shall  not  be  unto  thee." 
But  now  the  richest  consolation  administered  by  him  to  the 
Christian  in  trial  is  that  he  is  following  in  the  wake  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  and  soon  to  be  a  partaker  in  his  glory.  The 
pith  of  his  epistle  may  be  given  in  these  two  verses  (iv.,  12, 
Beloved,  think  it  not  strange  concerning  the  fiery 
which  is  to  try  you,  as  though  some  strange  thing  hap- 
pened unto  you  ;  but  rejoice,  inasmuch  as  ye  are  partakers 
of  Christ's  sufferings  ;  that,  when  his  glory  shall  be  revealed, 
ye  may  be  glad  also  with  exceeding  joy."  Yet  while  speak- 
ing directly  of  the  example  which  Christ,  while  suffering,  left 
us,  "that  we  should  follow  his  steps,"  he  is  careful  also  to 
give  prominence  to  the  sacrificial  character  of  his  death,  de- 
claring, as  he  does,  that  we  "  were  redeemed  with  the  pre- 


Letters  and  Last  Days.  337 

cious  blood  of  Christ ;"  that  "  Christ  suffered  for  us ;"  that 
"he  bare  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree  3"  that  he 
"once  suffered  for  sins,  the  just  for  the  unjust,  that  he  might 
bring  us  to  God ;"  and  that  "  he  hath  suffered  for  us  in  the 
flesh." 

Equally  remarkable  is  the  frequency  of  his  references  to 
the  future  life.  As  one  has  well  said,  "  Peter,  indeed,  might 
be  called  the  apostle  of  hope.  Doctrine  and  consolation 
alike  assume  this  form.  The  *  inheritance '  is  future,  but  its 
heirs  are  begotten  to  a  '  living  hope  '  (i.,  3,  4).  Their  tried 
faith  is  found  unto  glory  'at  the  appearance  of  Jesus  Christ' 
(i.,  7).  The  'end'  of  their  faith  is  'salvation'  (i.,  9) ;  and 
they  are  to  'hope  to  the  end  for  the  grace  that  is  to  be 
brought  unto  them  at  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ'  (i.,  13). 
Their  ruling  emotion  is,  therefore, '  the  hope  that  is  in  them  ' 
(iii.,  15) ;  so  much  lying  over  in  reserve  for  them  in  the  fut- 
ure, their  time  here  is  only  a  'sojourning'  (i.,  17) ;  they  were 
merely  'strangers  and  pilgrims'  (ii.,  17);  nay,  'the  end  of 
all  things  is  at  hand '  (iv.,  7).  Suffering  was  now,  but  joy 
was  to  come  when  'his  glory  shall  be  revealed '  (v.,  i)."^ 

From  these  two  characteristics,  which  are  so  strikingly  ap- 
parent in  it,  this  epistle  is,  perhaps,  the_richest  treasure  of 
consolation  to  those  who  are  in  trouble  which  the  sacred  can- 
on contains.  It  comes,  warm  and  living,  from  the  apostle's 
heart,  and  bears  on  its  style  the  marks  of  that  disposition 
which  was  so  prominent  in  himself.  It  is  vivid,  clear,  ear- 
nest, having  occasionally  transitions  so  striking  and  rapid 
as  to  remind  us  of  the  impulsiveness  of  him  who  passed  off 
so  frequently  at  some  tangent  of  association,  and  surprised 
us  so  often  with  the  singularity  of  his  sayings.  We  feel 
throughout  that  we  are  dealing  with  one  whose  theme  is  not 
a  thing  out  of  and  apart  from  himself,  but  who  is  reading 

*  Alexander's  "  Kitto,"  article  Peter,  First  Epistle  of. 
15 


338  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

to  us  a  chapter  of  his  own  experience,  and  telling  us  how, 
amidst  manifold  trials,  he  was  sustained  by  turning  in  faith 
to  the  cross,  and  in  hope  to  the  crown. 

There  are  some  books  of  the  Bible,  like  the  sweet  pastoral 
of  Ruth,  and  the  cheerful  letter  of  Paul  to  the  Philippians, 
which  should  be  read  in  the  bright  sunshine  of  a  cloudless 
day;  there  are  others  that  are  meant  for  the  darkness,  and 
of  these,  to  use  one  of  its  own  terms,  this  letter  of  Peter  is 
one  of  the  most  "precious."  One  sees  not  the  phosphores- 
cence of  the  wave  save  in  the  night ;  and  the  true  glory  of 
this  noble  letter  comes  out  most  brightly  in  the  suffering  of 
the  sick-chamber  or  the  experience  of  the  troubled.  It  is  a 
light  in  the  carriage-roof,  whereby  the  Christian  pilgrim  may 
be  cheered  as  he  passes  through  the  tunnels  of  his  life-jour- 
ney. In  the  open  daylight,  he  may  be  unconscious  of  its 
value ;  but  in  the  darkness  it  reveals  itself  by  its  welcome 
lustre,  and  is  prized  accordingly. 

Concerning  the  genuineness  and  canonical  authority  of 
the  second  epistle,  more  serious  questions  have  been  raised 
than  concerning  those  of  any  other  book  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. It  would  be  quite  out  of  place  for  me  to  enter  upon 
the  full  consideration  of  these  here,  involving  as  they  do  the 
testimony  of  the  early  fathers ;  the  absence  of  this  letter 
from  some  of  the  ancient  versions  of  the  New  Testament ; 
the  difference  in  style  between  it  and  the  first  epistle ;  and 
the  singular  resemblance  which  a  portion  of  one  of  its  chap- 
ters bears  to  the  Epistle  of  Jude.  We  have  to  admit  that 
doubts  were  entertained  regarding  it  even  in  primitive  times, 
and  that  it  was  not  formally  admitted  into  the  canon  until 
the  close  of  the  fourth  century ;  and  it  has  to  be  confessed, 
also,  that  in  modern  days  many  of  the  most  renowned  critics 
have  decided  against  it. 

Yet,  after  having  read  all  that  I  could  lay  my  hands  on 
regarding  it,  I  am  disposed  to  agree  with  those  who  believe 


Letters  and  Last  Days.  339 

that  it  belongs  of  right  to  the  canon  of  Scripture.  For  this 
is  not  a  case  like  that  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  which 
is  simply  anonymous.  Its  author  claims  to  be  Simon  Peter, 
and  we  must  therefore  either  regard  the  epistle  as  a  delib- 
erate forgery,  or  accept  it  as  the  work  of  the  great  apostle. 
Moreover,  even  if  we  give  full  weight  to  all  the  objections 
which  have  been  advanced  against  it,  there  are  sundry  per- 
sonal allusions  which  tell  largely  in  its  favor ;  for  the  writer 
refers  to  the  scene  on  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration,  and  in 
doing  so  employs  language  which,  to  one  acquainted  with 
the  original,  has  some  subtle  links  of'association  with  the 
conversation  of  the  three  glorified  ones  on  that  occasion  that 
could  hardly  have  been  fabricated.  Besides,  we  have  the 
immense  improbability  that  one  who  had  the  spiritual  in- 
sight that  could  perceive  the  truths  expressed  in  that  letter, 
and  the  courage  to  enforce  the  exhortations  to  truth  and 
righteousness  which  it  contains,  should  be  himself  a  lying 
impostor  seeking  to  palm  himself  ofY  for  that  which  he  was 
not. 

The  truth  is,  that  there  are  but  two  alternatives  here. 
Either  the  author  of  this  treatise  has  perpetrated  a  fraud, 
and  is  guilty  of  forgery,  in  using  the  name  of  Peter ;  or  he 
was  the  apostle  himself,  and  we  have  in  it  the  latest  produc- 
tion that  came  from  his  pen.  And  the  whole  question  may 
be  dismissed  in  the  following  calm  and  unbiased  sentences 
from  the  pen  of  one  of  the  contributors  to  Smith's  "  Diction- 
ary of  the  Bible  :"  "  If  it  were  a  question  now  to  be  decided 
upon  for  the  first  time,  upon  the  external  or  internal  evidences 
still  accessible,  it  may  be  admitted  that  it  would  be  far  more 
difficult  to  maintain  this  than  any  other  document  in  the  New 
Testament;  but  the  judgment  of  the  early  Church  is  not  to 
be  reversed  without  far  stronger  arguments  than  have  been 
adduced,  more  especially  as  the  epistle  is  entirely  free  from 
objections  which  might  be  brought,  with  more  show  of  rea- 


340  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

son,  against  others,  now  all  but  universally  received ;  incul- 
cating no  new  doctrine,  bearing  on  no  controversies  of  post- 
apostolic  origin,  supporting  no  hierarchical  innovations,  but 
simple,  earnest,  devout,  practical— full  of  the  characteristic 
graces  of  the  apostle,  who,  as  we  believe,  bequeathed  this 
last  proof  of  faith  and  hope  to  the  Church."* 

We  have  nothing  to  guide  us  in  fixing  the  date  at  which 
this  epistle  was  written ;  but  from  the  reference  made  in  it  to 
his  former  letter,  it  seems  to  have  been  designed  for  those 
to  whom  that  had  been  addressed.  Its  general  character  is 
admonitory.  It  was  evidently  designed  to  warn  its  readers 
against  falling  from  their  steadfastness,  and  to  exhort  them 
to  grow  in  grace  and  in  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  After  an  enumeration  of  Christian  privileges,  and 
an  injunction  to  make  their  calling  and  election  sure  by  the 
performance  of  Christian  duties,  he  touchingly  alludes  to 
his  own  approaching  death,  and,  making  a  passing  reference 
to  the  certain  evidence  which  he  possessed  for  the  truth  of 
the  doctrines  which  he  proclaimed,  he  guards  them  against 
being  led  away  by  false  teachers,  predicts  the  overthrow  of 
all  the  opponents  of  Christian  truth,  and  in  connection  with 
a  prophecy  of  the  second  advent  of  Christ,  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  world  by  fire,  he  holds  out  the  promise  of  new 
heavens  and  a  new  earth  wherein  dwelleth  righteousness. 

This  gives  him  an  opportunity,  which  he  eagerly  embraces, 
of  bearing  testimony  to  the  harmony  existing  between  him- 
self and  Paul,  whose  epistles  are  put  by  him  on  a  level  with 
the  other  Scriptures;  and  so  the  continued  confidence  of 
these  two  men  in  each  other,  which  was  a  matter  of  infer- 
ence from  the  former  letter,  is  in  this  one  plainly  expressed. 

The  later  events  of  Peter's  life  are  involved  in  obscurity. 
Some  would  have  us  to  believe  that  he  lived  at  Rome  for 

*  Smith's  "  Dictionary,"  vol.  ii,,  p.  8io  :  a. 


Letters  and  Last  Days.  341 

twenty  years,  and  that  he  was  the  first  bishop  of  the  Church 
in  that  city.  But  there  is  not  a  word  of  that  in  the  New 
Testament.  That  he  was  not  there  before  the  year  58,  when 
Paul  wrote  his  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  is,  as  nearly  as  pos- 
sible, absolutely  certain ;  and  we  may  conclude  with  equal 
assurance  that  he  was  not  there  during  Paul's  first  impris- 
onment. It  is  clear,  moreover,  that  he  did  not  found  the 
Church  of  Rome  ;  and  that  he  never  was,  in  any  sense  of 
the  word,  a  bishop  of  that  Church.  , 

But  whether  he  ever  visited  the  city,  and  whether  he  suf- 
fered martyrdom  in  it,  are  questions  which  are  not  so  easily 
solved.  The  evidence  of  his  martyrdom  is  complete,  though 
the  story  of  his  requesting  to  be  crucified  with  his  head 
downward,  because  it  would  be  too  much  honor  to  be  put  to 
death  precisely  as  his  Lord  was,  seems  to  me  to  be  apocry- 
phal. Equally  so  is  the  legend  found  in  Ambrose  to  this 
effect :  When  the  Christians  at  Rome  were  assailed  by  per- 
secution, anxious  to  preserve  their  teacher,  they  persuaded 
him  to  flee,  a  course  which  they  had  Scriptural  warrant  to 
recommend,  and  he  to  follow ;  but  at  the  gate  he  met  the 
Lord.  "  Lord,  whither  goest  thou  ?"  said  Peter.  "  I  go  to 
Rome,"  was  the  answer,  "  there  once  more  to  be  crucified." 
Peter  well  understood  the  meaning  of  the  words,  returned  at 
once,  and  was  crucified.  The  probability,  in  my  mind,  is, 
that  some  one  had  introduced  into  a  discourse,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  illustration,  and  as  a  purely  imaginary  thing,  such  an 
interview  between  the  Master  and  his  apostle,  and  that,  by- 
and-by,  it  was  accepted  as  a  fact. 

The  only  reliable  witness  whom  we  can  cite  regarding  Pe- 
ter's last  days  is  Clement  of  Rome,  who  was  almost  a  con- 
temporary, for  he  wrote  about  the  year  96  or  97,  not  more 
than  thirty  years  after  Peter's  death.  The  passage  in  which 
he  refers  to  him  and  Paul  is  as  follows  :  "  But  not  to  dwell 
upon  ancient  examples,  let  us  come  to  the  most  recent  spir- 


342  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

itual  heroes.  Let  us  take  the  noble  examples  furnished  in 
our  own  generation.  Through  envy  and  jealousy,  the  great- 
est and  most  righteous  pillars  have  been  persecuted  and  put 
to  death.  Let  us  set  before  our  eyes  the  illustrious  apostles. 
Peter,  through  unrighteous  envy,  endured  not  one  or  tviro, 
but  numerous  labors ;  and,  when  he  had  at  length  suffered 
martyrdom,  departed  to  the  place  of  glory  due  him.  Owing 
to  envy,  Paul  also  obtained  the  crown  of  patient  endurance, 
after  being  seven  times  thrown  into  captivity,  compelled  to 
flee,  and  stoned.  After  preaching  both  in  the  East  and 
West,  he  gained  the  illustrious  reputation  due  to  his  faith, 
having  taught  righteousness  to  the  whole  world,  and  come  to 
the  extreme  limits  of  the  West,  and  suffered  martyrdom  un- 
der the  prefects.  Thus  was  he  removed  from  the  world,  and 
went  into  the  holy  place,  having  proved  himself  a  striking  ex- 
ample of  patience.'"^ 

Within  the  last  few  weeks  the  announcement  has  been 
made  that  an  almost  complete  manuscript  of  the  Epistles  of 
Clement  has  been  discovered  in  the  library  of  the  Patriarch- 
ate of  Jerusalem,  and  published  at  Constantinople  by  Bryen- 
nios,  the  Bishop  of  Serrae,  in  Macedonia.  It  promises  to 
fill  up  many  of  the  gaps  in  the  former  manuscripts,  and  may 
cast  new  light  upon  the  passage  which  I  have  now  read. 
But  taking  it  as  we  now  have  it,  the  following  things  are  cer- 
tain :  (i)  that  both  the  apostles  Peter  and  Paul  suffered  mar- 
tyrdom ;  (2)  that  Paul  was  put  to  death  at  Rome ;  for,  as 
Lipsius  affirms,  that  is  the  sense  now  universally  given  to 
the  words  "the  extreme  limits  of  the  West;"  (3)  that  the 
place  of  Peter's  martyrdom  is  not  mentioned  by  Clement. 
The  words  referring  to  him  are  less  definite  than  those  em- 
ployed concerning  Paul.  This  seems  evidence  that  Clement 
did  not  know  so  much  concerning  Peter's  death  as  he  did 

*  Presbyterian  Quarterly  and  Princeton  Review  for  April,  1876,  p.  270. 


Letters  and  Last  Days.  343 

concerning  Paul's.  But  if  that  were  so,  then  it  is  ahuost 
conclusive  proof  that  he  was  not  put  to  death  at  Rome. 

An  article  in  the  April  number  of  the  Princetoji  Revieiu 
seeks,  very  opportunely  for  me,  to  give  Dr.  Lipsius's  view  on 
this  controverted  question,  as  that  is  elaborately  stated  and 
defended  in  a  forthcoming  book,  and  puts  the  result  in  these 
words  :  "At  the  close  of  the  first  and  up  to  the  beginning  of 
the  second  century  there  was  in  Pauline  circles,  inside  and 
outside  of  Rome,  no  knowledge  of  Peter's  labors  in  that 
city ;  no  knowledge  of  his  martyrdom  there  under  Nero."* 

Now,  I  am  aware  that  over  against  all  this  we  have  to  put 
a  well-nigh  unbroken  tradition  to  the  effect  that  Peter  did 
labor  in  his  latest  days  at  Rome,  and  was  there  sacrificed  as 
a  victim  to  Nero's  cruelty.  This  is  attested  by  Eusebius, 
Origen,  and  others  j  but  it  has  to  be  remembered,  on  the 
other  side,  that  such  a  tradition  as  that  would  be  likely  to 
be  formed  around  the  growing  claims  to  supremacy  put  forth 
by  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  would  be  fostered  by  all  who 
were  in  favor  of  supporting  these. 

Of  course,  we  can  see  that  the  questions  of  Peter's  resi- 
dence at  Rome  and  the  primacy  of  the  pope  are  two  separate 
and  entirely  unconnected  things  ;  for  though  we  should  admit 
that  Peter  had  been  Bishop  of  Rome  all  his  Christian  life, 
that  does  not  by  any  means  cover  the  assumption  that  the 
pope  is  his  successor  in  the  sense  of  possessing  all  that  Pe- 
ter as  an  apostle  ever  possessed,  and  of  claiming  more  than 
Peter  would  have  had  the  presumption  to  think  of  But  still, 
it  is  not  by  any  means  certain  that  he  ever  was  at  Rome,  and 
facts  may  yet  be  brought  to  light  to  make  it  certain  that  he 
never  was. 

As  the  case  stands  it  may  be  cautiously  stated  thus:  it  is 
certain  that  Peter  suffered  martyrdom  ;   it  is  probable  that 

*  Presbyterian  Quarterly  and  Princeton  Review  for  April,  1876,  p.  272. 


344  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

his  martyrdom  was  by  crucifixion ;  it  is  probable  that  his 
martyrdom  took  place  at  Rome  ;  but  it  is  clear  that  he  never 
was  for  any  length  of  time  resident  in  that  city,  and  morally 
certain  that  he  never  was  bishop  of  the  Church  there. 

We  can  not  now  attempt  any  analysis  of  the  great  apos- 
tle's character,  but,  reserving  that  for  a  concluding  lecture, 
we  shall  content  ourselves  for  the  present  with  one  or  two 
practical  inferences  suggested  by  the  ground  over  which  we 
have  come. 

In  the  first  place,  we  may  learn  that  the  great  concern  of 
the  ministers  of  Christ  ought  to  be  to  preserve  and  perpetu- 
ate the  truth.  Peter,  in  his  first  epistle,  draws  a  striking  con- 
trast between  the  frailty  of  men  and  the  permanence  of  the 
Word,  saying,  "All  flesh  is  as  grass,  and  all  the  glory  of  man 
as  the  flower  of  grass.  The  grass  withereth,  and  the  flower 
thereof  falleth  away  :  but  the  Word  of  the  Lord  endureth  for- 
ever." Yet  he  did  not  forbear  to  use  means  for  its  conserva- 
tion ;  for  in  his  second  letter  he  says,  "  I  will  endeavor  that 
ye  may  be  able  after  my  decease  to  have  these  things  always 
in  remembrance  ;"  and  he  proceeds  to  expose  the  deceitful- 
ness  of  those  false  teachers  who  sought  to  lead  them  astray. 

Now,  we  may  learn  a  lesson  for  our  times  from  this.  God 
has  given  us  in  the  truth  a  banner,  not  to  be  folded  up  and 
laid  past,  but  to  be  displayed ;  and  it  is  our  duty  to  hold 
forth,  and  to  hold  fast,  the  Word  of  life.  But  we  falter  in 
discharging  that  duty.  Instead  of  boldly  asserting  the  truth, 
we  go  about  almost  as  if  we  felt  that  we  should  apologize 
for  being  Christians.  Under  the  guise  of  charity,  we  are  be- 
coming latitudinarian ;  and,  lest  we  should  provoke  contro- 
versy, we  are  tempted  timidly  to  hold  our  peace.  But  there 
are  some  things  concerning  which  it  is  a  sin  to  be  silent ; 
and  among  these  I  place  all  opinions  that  degrade  either  the 
person  or  the  work  of  Christ. 

Who  so  loving  as  the  Apostle  John,  especially  in  his  clos- 


Letters  and  Last  Days.  345 

ing  days  ?  Yet  it  is  he  who  has  written  these  words :  "  If 
there  come  any  unto  you,  and  bring  not  this  doctrine,  receive 
him  not  into  your  house,  neither  bid  him  godspeed."  Who 
so  forbearing  as  Paul,  who  became  all  things  to  all  men,  that 
he  might  by  all  means  save  some  ?  Yet  when  ritual  observ- 
ances w^re  alleged  by  some  to  be  indispensable  to  salvation, 
he  gave  place  by  subjection — no,  not  for  an  hour,  but  said, 
"  If  any  man  preach  any  other  Gospel  to  you  than  that  ye 
have  received,  let  him  be  accursed."'  Who  so  liable  to  be 
influenced  by  others  as  Peter  ?  And  yet  it  is  thus  he  char- 
acterizes those  who  would  seduce  professing  Christians  from 
the  right  way :  "  These  are  wells  without  water,  clouds  that 
are  carried  with  a  tempest ;  to  whom  the  mist  of  darkness  is 
reserved  forever.'' 

Let  us  imitate  the  holy  boldness  of  these  servants  of  God, 
and  give  prominence  to  tHe  ti-uth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  Let  us 
enthrone  Christ  in  our  hearts,  that  his  truth  may  be  contin- 
ually on  our  lips.  Let  us  give  distinct  and  decided  pre-emi- 
nence to  Christ  alike  in  our  religious  opinions  and  our  relig- 
ious teachings  ;  and  as  the  preaching  which  every  age  needs 
is  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  we  shall  see  again  the  fact 
revealed  that  it  is  "  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  ev- 
ery one  that  believeth.*' 

We  may  learn,  secondly,  that  the  great  secret  of  Christian 
peace  and  usefulness  is  the  cultivation  of  holiness.  In  his 
first  letter,  Peter,  quoting  from  one  of  the  Psalms,  says,  "  He 
that  will  love  life,  and  see  good  days,  let  him  refrain  his 
tongue  from  evil,  and  his  lips  that  they  speak  no  guile  :  let 
him  eschew  evil,  and  do  good  ;  let  him  seek  peace,  and  en- 
sue it ;"  and  in  his  second,  after  exhorting  to  the  cultivation 
of  the  Christian  graces,  he  adds,  "  If  these  things  be  in  you, 
and  abound,  they  make  you  that  ye  shall  neither  be  barren 
nor  unfruitful  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.'' 
Christianit}'  is  not  a  creed  merely,  though  it  is  of  immense 

15* 


346  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

importance  that  the  creed  be  sound ;  neither  is  it  an  emo- 
tion merely,  though  wherever  it  is  genuine  there  is  sure  to 
be  emotion ;  but  it  is  pre-eminently  a  character  built  upon 
the  foundation  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  after  the  pat- 
tern of  his  spotless  life. 

1  No  one  can  read  these  letters  of  Peter  without  having  that 
thought  deeply  imprinted  upon  his  heart.  To  be  happy,  we 
/must  be  holy.  True  Christian  experience  is  not  a  mere  ef- 
fervescence of  feeling,  or  a  simple  intellectual  assent  to  a 
system  of  doctrine.  It  is  character-building  ;  and  only  in 
the  proportion  in  which  we  attain  to  the  likeness  of  Christ 
can  we  be  either  happy  or  useful  in  the  world.  Let  us  leave 
off,  then,  all  other  considerations  if  we  want  to  have  joy  ;  let 
us  lay  our  faith  on  Christ,  and  then  add  to  our  faith  courage, 
and  knowledge,  and  temperance,  and  patience,  and  brother- 
ly kindness,  and  love ;  for  thereby  alone  can  we  make  our 
"calling  and  election  sure."  And  while  thus  we  labor  for 
our  own  comfort,  we  shall  be  at  the  same  time  working  for 
the  benefit  of  others,  for  the  influence — call  it  rather  the  ef- 
fluence— of  character  can  not  be  overestimated.  We  are 
molding  others  wherever  we  are,  and  then  most  of  all  when 
we  are  least  conscious  that  we  are  doing  so.  And  if  we  were 
in  every  respect  to  live  according  to  the  Gospel,  we  should 
be  the  noblest  missionaries  of  the  cross  whom  the  world  has 
ev6r  seen. 

Let  us  therefore  resolve  that,  by  the  grace  of  God,  we  shall 
regulate  ourselves  by  those  principles  which  Christ  enforced 
by  his  teaching  and  glorified  by  his  example.  In  the  fami- 
ly, let  us  cultivate  the  graces  of  patience,  forbearance,  love, 
and  self-sacrifice  ;  in  the  social  circle,  let  us  manifest  meek- 
ness and  purity ;  in  business  pursuits,  let  us  show  that  we 
are  actuated  by  justice  and  integrity;  yea,  wherever  we  are, 
let  us  endeavor  to  have  our  conversation  so  worthy  of  the 
Gospel  that  men  shall  "take  knowledge  of  us  that  we  have 


Letters  and  Last  Days.  347 

been  with  Jesus."  In  vain  are  all  other  efforts  for  the  evan- 
gelization of  the  people,  if  they  be  not  accompanied  by  this 
godly  living.  To  no  purpose  is  our  profession  of  attachment 
to  Jesus,  if  it  be  not  confirmed  by  this  holy  character.  We 
may  not  be  able  to  speak  or  write  for  Jesus,  and  for  the 
moment  other  walks  of  usefulness  may  seem  closed  against 
us ;  but  we  can  all  live  for  him  ;  and  the  purer  our  charac- 
ters, the  happier  will  be  our  hearts,  and  the  more  useful  our 
lives. 

Finally,  in  contending  for  the  truth  and  striving  after  ho- 
liness, we  are  to  expect  affliction.  As  long  as  we  are  on  the 
earth,  we  shall  have  trials.  These  may  come  either  in  the 
providence  of  God,  or  as  the  result  of  the  wickedness  of  our 
fellow-men  ;  but,  rightly  borne,  they  will  only  purge  our  char- 
acters and  enlarge  our  usefulness.  What  a  rich  catena  of 
consolation  may  be  formed  out  of  these  letters !  And  how 
can  I  better  conclude  than  with  a  specimen,  which  may  send 
you  to  the  letters  themselves  for  the  rest :  "  Though  now  for 
a  season,  if  need  be,  ye  are  in  heaviness  through  manifold 
temptations,  that  the  trial  of  your  faith,  being  much  more 
precious  than  of  gold  that  perisheth,  though  it  be  tried  with 
fire,  might  be  found  unto  praise  and  honor  and  glory  at  the 
appearing  of  Jesus  Christ ;"  "Wherefore  gird  up  the  loins  of 
your  mind,  be  sober,  and  hope  to  the  end  for  the  grace  that 
is  to  be  brought  unto  you  at  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ;" 
"Beloved,  think  it  not  strange  concerning  the  fiery  trial 
which  is  to  try  you,  as  though  some  strange  thing  happened 
unto  you:  but  rejoice,  inasmuch  as  ye  are  partakers  of 
Christ's  sufferings ;  that,  when  his  glory  shall  be  revealed, 
ye  may  be  glad  also  with  exceeding  joy ;"  "Wherefore,  let 
them  that  suffer  according  to  the  will  of  God  commit  the 
keeping  of  their  souls  to  him  in  well  doing,  as  unto  a  faithful 
Creator;"  "An  entrance  shall  be  ministered  unto  you  abun- 
dantly into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour 


348  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

Jesus  Christ;"  "Account  that  the  long  suffering  of  our  Lord 
is  salvation ;"  "  Be  diligent  that  ye  may  be  found  of  him  in 
peace,  without  spot  and  blameless ;"  God  "  hath  begotten  us 
again  unto  a  lively  hope  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ 
from  the  dead,  to  an  inheritance  incorruptible  and  undefiled, 
and  that  fadeth  not  away,  reserved  in  heaven  for  you,  who 
are  kept  by  the  power  of  God  through  faith  unto  salvation 
ready  to  be  revealed  in  the  last  time." 


XXIII. 

SIMON  PETER  A  SERVANT  AND  AN  APOSTLE 
OF  CHRIST. 

2  Peter  i,,  i. 

THE  study  of  a  single  biography,  especially  if  it  be  that 
of  a  distinguished  and  earnest  man,  is  apt  to  beget  in 
us  the  disposition  to  imitate  it.  We  are  prone  to  make  it 
the  mold  into  which  we  determine  to  run  ourselves ;  and 
character  in  us,  instead  of  being  developed  from  within,  is 
repressed  and  regulated  from  without.  We  cut  and  shape 
it  after  the  style  of  our  model,  as  the  old-fashioned  gardener 
used  to  do  with  his  trees  and  shrubs,  instead  of  allowing  it 
to  spread  out  into  its  own  individuality  and  pruning  off  mere 
excrescences,  as  the  skilled  botanist  does  with  each  plant 
under  his  care.  That  which  ought  to  be  natural  is  made 
artificial ;  the  spontaneousness  goes  out  of  it,  and  character 
degenerates  into  caricature.  Thus  hero-worship  becomes 
positively  injurious ;  and,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  it  tends, 
by  the  exclusiveness  of  its  homage,  to  overlay  and  destroy 
the  very  things  by  which  it  was  first  evoked. 

The  echo  is  always  more  indistinct  and  shadowy  than  the 
voice;  and  he  who  tries  to  make  himself  into  another  man 
only  mars  himself,  while  he  falls  very  far  short  of  reach- 
ing the  other's  excellence.  The  highest  merit  of  character, 
next  after  its  moral  and  spiritual  excellence,  is  individuality. 
This  is  true  in  all  departments ;  but  it  is  too  often  forgotten 
in  the  religious  life.     The  poet,  or  painter,  or  philosopher 


35©  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

who  is  simply  and  only  an  imitator  has  not  risen  to  the 
highest  greatness. 

We  crave  in  literature  and  art  for  originality.  But  in  re- 
ligious things  men  are  apt  to  imagine  that  they  must  keep 
down  their  individuality,  and  squeeze  themselves  into  the 
shape  and  pattern  of  certain  excellent  ones  with  whose  his- 
tories they  have  become  enamored.  It  is  not  enough  that 
they  come  to  Christ,  but  they  must  get  up  the  same  pre- 
cise experiences  in  coming  to  him  that  their  model  passed 
through.  It  is  not  sufficient  that  they  should  serve  Christ ; 
but  their  service,  no  matter  what  the  times  require  of  them, 
must  take  the  same  form  as  that  of  their  models.  What  was 
proper  and  noble  in  the  one  becomes  thus  forced  and  exotic 
in  the  other;  and  so  too  frequently  the  happiness  of  the 
heart  and  the  usefulness  of  the  life  are  impaired. 

Now,  it  seems  to  me  that  there  is  no  better  corrective  to 
this  evil  than  the  analysis  of  the  characters  of  the  good  men 
whose  lives  are  given  in  the  Word  of  God.  In  the  great 
inner  principles  of  faith  in  God  and  loyalty  to  him  they 
were  all  alike ;  but  in  their  individual  features  there  is  as 
much  diversity  among  them  as  there  is  in  the  countenances 
of  this  audience.  The  heart-beat  in  man  is  the  same  in  all 
races ;  but  there  is  still  a  marked  difference  between  the  Eu- 
ropean and  the  red  man  ;  and  so,  though  they  are  all  alike  in 
the  great  heart-throb  of  faith,  there  are  yet  clear  distinctions 
between  those  whose  histories  are  recorded  here.  Isaac, 
with  his  meditative  and  pensive  spirit,  is  in  many  respects  a 
contrast  to  the  active  and  energetic  Abraham.  Moses,  the 
man  of  God,  is  easily  distinguishable  even  from  one  so  near- 
ly related  to  him  as  Aaron  ;  and  though,  in  many  respects, 
they  remind  us  of  each  other,  Nehemiah  had  not  the  mys- 
tic fervor  and  keen-eyed  insight  of  Daniel.  So  among  the 
apostles  ;  there  were  no  two  alike.  John  was  the  man  of  in- 
tuition, who  took  in  things  more  by  absorption  than  by  rea- 


A  Servant  and  an  Apostle  of  Christ.         351 

soning.  Thomas  was  the  representative  of  independence, 
who  would  be  satisfied  on  all  subjects  for  himself.  Philip 
was  the  plain  matter-of-fact  one,  who  never  thought  of  a 
figurative  sense  in  which  words  were  to  be  understood,  so 
long  as  he  could  cling  to  a  literal  one.  Andrew  was  the 
usher  among  the  twelve,  finding  his  delight  in  leading  friends 
and  strangers  alike  to  Jesus.  And  Peter  was  the  outspoken, 
impulsive,  irrepressible,  who  was  first  and  fieriest  in  every 
thing.  They  were  all  different ;  and  yet  the  Holy  Ghost, 
working  in  them  all,  turned  their  idiosyncrasies  to  good  ac- 
count in  the  service  of  their  Master.  He  did  not  make 
each  the  fac-simile  of  the  other,  but  he  developed  each  into 
himself,  only  that  self  purified,  sublimated,  and  ennobled. 

Now,  the  lesson  of  all  this  for  us  is,  that  we  should  not 
seek  to  repeat  another  in  ourselves,  but  rather  should  en- 
deavor, like  all  the  twelve,  to  reduce  the  principles  on  which 
they  acted  to  such  practice  as  is  demanded  by  our  circum- 
stances and  our  age.  There  is  only  one  whom  it  is  safe  fbr 
us  exclusively  to  imitate,  and  he  was  more  than  man.  Yet, 
even  in  regard  to  him,  we  shall  make  egregious  mistakes 
if  we  attempt  to  repeat  his  actions  from  without,  instead  of 
imbibing  his  spirit,  and  leaving  that  to  manifest  itself  through 
us  as  occasion  requires.  Naturalness  is  indispensable  to 
sincerity;  and  the  development  of  principle  from  within  is 
indispensable  to  naturalness.  There  ought  to  be  no  fashion 
in  piety.  In  the  matter  of  character  as  well  as  of  party,  no 
one  should  say,  "  I  am  of  Paul,"  or  "  I  am  of  Cephas  ;"  but 
each  should  say,  "  I  am  of  Christ :"  meaning  by  that  that 
he  has  adopted  the  principles  of  Christ,  and  is  seeking  to 
apply  them  every  day  to  his  circumstances  and  responsibili- 
ties. 

When,  therefore,  we  proceed,  in  this  concluding  discourse, 
to  point  out  the  distinctive  features  of  Peter's  disposition, 
you  will  understand  that  we  are  using  him  only  as  an  aid  in 


352  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

self-formation,  and  that  we  do  not  seek  to  induce  you  to 
merge  your  individuality  in  his.  He  was  himself  only  saved 
and  sanctified  by  Christ ;  and  the  great  lesson  of  his  career 
is  that  we  should  be  ourselves  only  sav-ed,  and,  if  possible, 
still  more  highly  sanctified  than  he  was. 

In  analyzing  the  character  of  Peter,  I  place  first  his  trans- 
parent sincerity.  You  could  read  him  at  a  glance.  His 
heart  was  always  in  his  countenance  and  on  his  lips.  He 
could  not  be  a  hypocrite ;  and  the  only  time  he  attempted 
to  deceive,  he  made  such  bungling  work  of  it  that  no  one 
would  believe  his  lie.  What  was  in  him  was  sure,  in  some 
way  or  other,  to  come  out.  He  had  no  diplomacy  about 
him,  and  was  as  far  as  possible  from  believing  that  language 
was  designed  to  conceal  thought.  Nay,  rather,  he  thought 
aloud  ;  and  the  result  was,  that  while  men  sometimes  ad- 
mired him,  and  sometimes  laughed  at  him,  and  sometimes 
blamed  him,  they  always  loved  him.  He  always  believed 
in  taking  the  straight  line.  There  was  no  cunning  or  du- 
plicity about  him.  He  could  not  have  gone  about  like  Ju- 
das, nourishing  secret  enmity  in  his  heart,  and  seeking  a 
favorable  opportunity  for  its  gratification.  Neither  did  he 
seek  honor  by  roundabout  ways.  In  this  respect  he  was 
superior  even  to  James  and  John,  who  schemed,  through 
their  mother,  for  the  highest  places  in  the  kingdom.  He 
did  nothing  underhand.  All  about  him  was  open  and  above 
board  ;  and  when  he  had  heard  about  himself,  he  was  eager 
also  to  know  what  should  come  to  his  friend. 

Now,  in  all  this  there  was  much  to  admire,  and  not  a  little 
to  desire ;  for,  sooth  to  say,  this  simplicity  of  sincerity  has 
gone  largely  out  of  fashion  among  us.  Men  isolate  them- 
selves by  their  reticence,  and  repel  all  advances  by  their  re- 
serve ;  they  count  it  a  merit  to  be  inscrutable,  and  a  silli- 
ness to  be  open  and  ingenuous.  Scheming  is  the  order  of 
the  day,  and  life  is  regarded  as  a  game  of  whist,  in  which 


A  Servant  and  an  Apostle  of  Christ.         353 

each  one  keeps  his  hand  hidden  from  his  neighbor.  Frank- 
ness is  the  mark  of  inexperience,  and  the  wearing  of  a  mask 
is  not  by  any  means  confined  to  the  ball-room,  but  may  be 
seen,  perhaps  more  frequently,  in  the  exchanges,  and  even 
in  the  Church. 

Now,  I  am  aware  that  frankness  may  be  carried,  as  it  was 
occasionally  in  Peter,  too  far.  We  can  not  but  blame  him 
for  his  words  to  the  Lord  regarding  his  death,  or  his  answer 
to  Jesus  about  the  washing  of  his  feet ;  while  his  language 
on  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration  was  strangely  out  of  place. 
But  still  he  was  genuine  ;  and  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying 
that  the  mistake  of  an  honest  man  is  better  than  the  hypoc- 
risy of  a  dishonest  one.  The  openness  of  Peter,  though  it 
was  now  and  then  foolish,  and  even  sinful,  was  a  far  higher 
thing  than  the  cautious  and  apparently  blameless  demeanor 
of  Judas ;  though,  of  course,  better  than  either  is  the  well- 
balanced  self-control  of  him  who  has  learned  that  there  is  a 
time  to  speak  and  a  time  to  be  silent. 

We  need  not,  perhaps,  like  Peter,  utter  all  we  think  or 
feel  on  every  occasion  ;  for  not  to  say  that  we  may  often  be 
wrong,  there  are  many  seasons  and  many  subjects  on  which 
we  are  not  called  to  speak  at  all.  But  it  ought  to  be  an 
invariable  rule  with  us  not  to  say  any  thing  which  we  do 
not  think  or  feel.  No  matter  what  it  may  cost  us ;  though 
we  may  lose  profits  by  it ;  though  for  the  moment  we  may 
lose  friends,  and  forfeit  the  good  opinion  of  those  we  love ; 
though  it  may  threaten  to  bring  ruin  upon  us,  yet  it  is  above 
and  beyond  all  things  needful  that  we  be  sincere.  The  only 
disgraces  that  came  on  Peter  were  the  results  of  his  attempt- 
ing a  dishonest  course ;  and  we  may  be  sure  that  how  great 
soever  the  calamity  may  be  with  which  our  honesty  threatens 
us,  the  degradation  of  insincerity  will  be  lower  and  more  de- 
basing than  any  suffering.  There  is  no  ruin  possible  to  a 
man  save  that  of  character,  and  insincerity  always  scuttles 


354  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

that.  All  may  seem  prosperous  around ;  the  sky  above 
may  be  bright,  the  sea  may  be  calm,  the  vessel  may  be  well 
provisioned ;  but  away  down  in  the  secret  hold  it  is  pierced 
through,  and  the  water  is  rushing  in  which  by-and-by  will 
make  the  ship  sink,  all  unrecorded,  beneath  the  waves.  I 
tell  you,  friends,  I  had  rather  have  the  outburst  of  an  occa- 
sional storm  the  result  of  impetuous  rashness,  than  a  slow, 
remediless,  and  unwept  foundering  like  that ! 
^  .  A  second  feature  in  the  character  of  Peter  was  prompti- 
tude. He  did  at  once  what  his  hand  found  to  do.  HeTost 
no  time  over  deliberation,  and  never  hesitated  to  say  what 
he  felt  to  be  true,  or  to  do  what  seemed  to  him  to  be  right. 
When  the  Lord  revealed  himself  to  him  in  the  miracle  of 
the  first  draught  of  fishes,  he  cried  out  in  a  moment,  "  De- 
part from  me  ;  for  I  am  a  sinful  man,  O  Lord."  And  though, 
on  that  occasion,  his  perception  of  a  clear  truth  took  rather 
an  unfortunate  way  of  expressing  itself,  yet  it  was  the  very 
same  readiness  that  prompted  him  in  other  circumstances  to 
say,  "  To  whom  shall  we  go  ?  thou  hast  the  words  of  eternal 
life  ;  and  we  believe  and  are  sure  that  thou  art  the  Christ,  the 
son  of  the  living  God." 

So,  again,  when  John  hesitated  to  enter  the  sepulchre,  Pe- 
ter went  in  at  once ;  and  when  he  was  sent  for  to  come  to 
Joppa  without  delay,  in  consequence  of  the  death  of  Dorcas, 
he  arose  and  returned  with  the  messengers.  In  like  man- 
ner, when  the  servants  of  Cornelius  came  for  him,  he  re- 
sponded to  their  invitation  without  gainsaying  as  soon  as 
he  was  sent  for.  His  habit  thus  was  to  act  on  the  moment. 
It  would  have  been  better,  indeed,  if  he  had  been  occasion- 
ally more  deliberate.  HejivasL^pt  to  be -jealous  at  the  ex- 
pense of  prudence,  and  was  guilty  of  si:)eaking  and  acting, 
even  in  circumstances  of  importance,  without  due  reflection. 
What  he  was  going  to  see  at  all,  he  commonly  saw  at  a 
glance ;  and  he  did  not  take  time  in  all  cases  to  look  round 


A  Servant  and  an  Apostle  of  Christ.         355 

a  subject  before  he  committed  himself  regarding  it.  This 
frequently  brought  him  into  inconsistencies  and  absurdi- 
ties from  which  a  little  forethought  would  have  saved  him. 
Thus,  if  he  had  reflected  for  a  little,  he  never  would  have 
presumed  to  rebuke  his  Master  for  his  reference  to  his 
death,  or  to  resist  the  washing  of  his  feet,  or  to  take  out  his 
sword  and  cut  off  the  ear  of  Malchus.  In  fairness,  how- 
ever, it  must  be  added  that,  if  this  feature  of  his  character 
sometimes  led  him  into  errors,  it  prompted  also  to  his  speedy 
relinquishment  of  them  when  their  nature  was  pointed  out 
to  him.  If  he  did  say,  "  Thou  shalt  never  wash  my  feet,"  he 
was  as  ready  to  exclaim,  when  the  significance  of  the  act 
was  explained  to  him,  "  Not  my  feet  only,  but  my  hands  and 
my  head ;"  the  very  extravagance  of  the  recoil  indicating 
how  sincerely  it  was  made.  He  did  not  anchor  himself 
over  his  sayings,  and  stick  to  them,  just  to  be  consistent. 
But  if  he  hastily  uttered  that  which  was  wrong,  he  was  as 
much  in  haste  to  retract  it  when  he  discovered  what  it 
really  was.  In  this  respect  he  was  largely  a  contrast  to 
his  fellow-apostle  Paul.  The  man  of  Tarsus  was  consistent 
throughout.  He  carefully  examined  his  ground  before  he 
took  it,  but  when  he  had  taken  it  he  was  immovable.  Pe- 
ter, again,  was  quick  in  all  his  movements ;  and  if  he  did 
sometimes  step  rashly  into  a  marshy  place,  he  sprung  just 
as  speedily  out  of  it  again. 

But  while  all  this  must  be  frankly  conceded,  we  must 
never  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  it  was  through  this  very 
promptitude  to  say  out,  and  act  upon,  that  which  he  saw  at 
the  moment,  that  he  owed  his  position  as  the  leader  of  the 
apostolic  band  on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  For  it  was  this 
that  led  him  to  utter  his  memorable  confession  at  Cesarea 
Philippi,  "  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  son  of  the  living  God." 
Flesh  and  blood  did  not  reveal  that  truth  to  him.  It  had 
been  unveiled  before  him  by  his  Father  in  heaven  ;  but  so 


^> 


356  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

soon  as  he  saw  it  he  said  it,  and  the  public  utterance  was  a 
source  of  dehght  to  the  Lord. 

We  may  moralize,  if  we  choose,  over  Peter's  impulsive- 
ness, and  bewail  the  absence  of  caution  by  which,  on  many 
occasions,  he  was  characterized  ;  but  the  fact  remains,  that 
the  world  has  never  owed  very  much  to  your  prudent  peo- 
ple, who  are  always  afraid  to  do  any  thing  until  they  know 
assuredly  that  they  are  doing  the  right  thing.  If  Luther 
had  been  a  man  of  that  temperament,  there  would  have 
been  no  Reformation  ;  and,  for  my  part,  I  am  almost  ready 
to  forgive  Peter's  blunders,  for  the  great  blessings  which  his 
promptitude  has  secured  for  us.  I  would  be  far  indeed  from 
urging  to  precipitate  action  in  any  matter ;  and  yet,  if  we 
could  combine  it  with  the  wisdom  of  such  a  one  as  John,  it 
would  be  well  for  most  of  us  that  we  had  Peter's  prompti- 
tude. 

The  evil  with  many  now  is,  not  that  they  are  in  any  doubt 
as  to  what  they  should  do,  but  that  they  will  not  do  it  at 
once.  Thus,  in  the  matter  of  confessing  Christ,  there  are 
probably  very  few  among  us  who  do  not  believe  that  he  is 
the  Saviour  of  the  world,  and  are  not  trusting  in  him  for  our 
own  deliverance ;  nay,  there  are,  perhaps,  not  many  among 
us  who  are  not  cherishing  the  purpose  that,  at  some  time, 
they  will  take  a  public  stand  under  the  leadership  of  Jesus; 
but  they  hesitate,  deliberate,  delay  until  at  length  the  habit 
of  procrastination  is  formed,  and  it  is  never  done  at  all.  I 
grant  that  such  a  step  should  always  be  taken  carefully,  de- 
liberately, and  prayerfully ;  but  we  should  not  be  always  de- 
liberating ;  and  the  example  of  Peter,  with  the  honor  that 
came  upon  him  in  consequence,  is  full  of  significance  to 
those  who  are  halting  and  irresolute.  How  much,  also,  is 
there  in  his  readiness  to  go  to  the  household  of  Dorcas  or 
the  abode  of  Cornelius,  to  instruct,  if  not,  indeed,  to  rebuke, 
the  ministers  of  the  Gospel !     We  postpone  such  calls  too 


A  Servant  and  an  Apostle  of  Christ.         357 

frequently  to  other  and  less  important  interests,  and  indus- 
triously fish  in  other  less  productive  waters,  when,  if  we  were 
to  repair  to  the  chambers  of  the  sick  and  the  homes  of 
the  inquiring,  we  might  be  blessed  in  leading  many  to  the 
Lord. 

Peter's  rule  was  evidently  the  same  as  that  which  the 
much-loved  Payson  had  so  frequently  on  his  lips:  "The 
man  who  wants  me  is  the  man  I  want ;"  and  he  sought  to 
be  a  blessing  to  all  who  in  any  way  needed  or  invoked  his 
aid.  Thus,  without  at  all  ignoring  the  evils  that  must  re- 
sult when  promptitude  degenerates  into  rashness,  there  are 
lessons  from  this  aspect  of  Peter's  character  which  are  ap- 
propriate both  to  the  occupant  of  the  pulpit  and  the  hearers 
in  the  pews.  "Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it 
with  thy  might ;  for  there  is  no  work,  nor  device,  nor  knowl- 
edge, nor  wisdom  in  the  grave  whither  thou  goest." 

Another  element  in  .Peter's  character  was  his  courage. 
We  too  frequently  associate  him  with  the  denial  of  his  Lord, 
and  his  vacillating  conduct  at  Antioch,  as  if  these  were  typ- 
ical instances  in  his  life.  But,  though  it  is  undeniable  that 
on  both  of  these  occasions  he  was  seized  with  panic,  we 
should  do  him  great  injustice  if  we  were  to  suppose  that 
they  were  normal  or  habitual  with  him.  Now  and  then,  aft- 
er a  day's  terrific  rain,  there  is  a  freshet  in  the  river,  which 
does  a  little  damage,  and  spreads  a  little  alarm  ;  but  that  is 
not  its  usual  condition.  So  these  were  freshets  in  Peter'.s 
history ;  and  before  one  of  them,  at  least,  there  was  a  night 
of  such  experiences  as,  on  a  nature  like  his,  impulsive  and 
sensitive  and  intense,  might  well  produce  a  tendency  to  pan- 
ic. Perhaps,  also,  if  we  fully  knew  the  details  concerning  the 
other,  we  might  see  something  in  them  which  helped  to  ex- 
plain the  inconsistency  which  was  so  grieving  to  Paul.  But, 
hov>^ever  that  may  have  been,  Peter  was  in  the  main  a  cour- 
ageous man.     If  he  did  deny  the  Lord,  do  not  let  us  forget 


358  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

that  he  was  the  only  one  of  the  twelve  save  John  who  had 
the  courage  to  follow  the  Lord,  after  his  apprehension,  into 
the  palace  of  the  high-priest.  Behold  him,  too,  before  the 
Council  !  There  is  no  faltering  in  his  speech,  there  is  no 
quivering  in  his  heart  there.  On  the  contrary,  it  was  his 
boldness  which,  most  of  all,  attracted  the  attention  of  his 
judges,  and  made  them  take  knowledge  of  him  that  he  had 
been  with  Jesus.  And  no  one  can  accuse  him  of  cowardice 
who  was  ready  to  die  at  the  hands  of  Herod,  and  who  actu- 
ally gave  up  his  life  at  last  as  a  martyr  for  the  truth  as  it  is 
in  Jesus. 

Sometimes,  indeed,  his  courage  degenerated  into  rashness, 
as  when,  before  fearful  military  odds,  he  drew  the  sword  in 
defense  of  his  Lord.  But  in  general  he  was  resolute  and 
unbending.  When  he  failed,  it  was  because  he  trusted  in 
himself;  when  he  stood,  it  was  because  "he  endured  as  see- 
ing him  who  is  invisible."  So  long  as  he  thought  of  doing 
that  which  was  right  in  the  sight  of  God,  he  was  inflexible 
and  invincible ;  but  when  he  counseled  with  flesh  and  blood, 
or  had  regard  to  the  opinions  or  prejudices  of  men,  he  fal- 
tered, and  fell  back. 

Now,  we  have  here  at  once  an  example  for  imitation,  and 
a  beacon  for  warning.  Our  bearing  before  temptation  will 
be  like  that  of  Peter  before  the  Council,  or  like  that  of  the 
same  apostle  before  the  damsel  in  the  high-priest's  hall,  ac- 
cording as  we  are  determined  to  do  that  which  is  right  in 
the  sight  of  God,  or  are  trusting  in  our  own  strength,  and 
glorying  in  our  own  steadfastness.  There  is  never  any  dif- 
ficulty about  determining  what  our  duty  is  when  we  look  at 
the  matter  as  one  between  ourselves  and  God  ;  and  we  shall 
always  be  enabled  to  perform  that  duty  when  we  think  of  it 
as  something  laid  upon  us  by  Him  who  gave  his  life  in  our 
behalf.  But  when  we  hold  parley  with  fashion,  or  interest, 
or  earthly  prudence,  and  allow  the  consideration  of  men's 


A  Servant  and  an  Apostle  of  Christ.         359 

favor  or  antagonism  to  come  into  operation,  immediately 
complication  begins ;  and  when  we  are  in  such  a  hesitating 
mood,  even  such  a  little  thing  as  the  banter  of  a  silly  girl,  or 
the  vague  foreboding  of  some  blind  partisan,  will  be  all  that  is 
needed  to  send  us  off  in  the  wrong  direction.  When  the  bal- 
ance is  in  equipoise,  the  slightest  touch  of  an  infant's  hand 
upon  the  beam  will  send  it  down  to  its  farthest  limit.  But 
when  you  put  a  weight  into  the  scale,  it  is  a  harder  thing  to 
move  it.  So,  if  we  would  make  ourselves  immovably  stead- 
fast in  the  face  of  all  temptation  or  threatening,  we  must 
weight  ourselves  down  by  confidence  in  God,  and  put  him 
between  us  and  the  efforts  of  our  assailants.  When  we  do 
that,  they  will  not  stir  us  until  they  can  cope  with  him. 

I  name  only  one  other  characteristic  of  Peter,  namely,  his 
vitaisify.  There  are  some  men  so  lymphatic  in  their  temper- 
ament that  they  are  moved  by  nothing.  They  hate  enthu- 
siasm, and  can  not  be  made  to  alter  their  pace  by  any  influ- 
ence whatever.  They  must  do  every  thing  with  precision — 
slowly,  orderly,  without  any  emotion,  or  any  manifestation 
of  interest.  And,  not  content  with  being  such  men  them- 
selves, each  seems  to  carry  about  with  him  a  portable  fire- 
engine,  with  which  he  is  prepared  at  once  to  extinguish 
every  spark  of  enthusiasm  that  begins  to  glow  in  others. 
Peter  was  very  far  from  being  one  of  these.  There  was  an 
ardor  about  him  that  radiated  through  every  thing  which  he 
said'or  did.  His  nature  was  pre-eminently  incandescent. 
He^as  whole-hearted  in  all  he  undertook.  His  opinions 
and  actions  were  not  separable  from  himself,  but  he  sent 
himself  after  every  thing  he  said,  and  he  "moved  alto- 
gether when  he  moved  at  all."  He  seemed  to  be  always  at 
a  white  heat ;  and  so  when  he  was  right,  he  was  enthu- 
siastically right ;  and  when  he  was  wrong,  he  was  energetic- 
ally wrong. 

The  hot-house  brings  forth  weeds  as  luxuriantly  as  it  de- 


360  Peter,  THE  Apostle. 

velops  flowers ;  and  so  a  nature  like  Peter's  leads  to  promi- 
nence in  evil  as  well  as  pre-eminence  in  good.  You  see  the 
same  intensity  in  his  denial  as  you  do  in  his  confession  ;  but 
because  the  bent  of  his  character  was  mainly  toward  Christ 
and  holiness,  his  enthusiam  was  most  frequently  manifested 
in  his  Master's  service.  What  could  be  more  touching  than 
his  expression  of  attachment  to  the  Lord  at  the  supper-table, 
or  his  thrice -repeated  answer  to  the  Saviour's  question  on 
the  shore  of  Gennesaret  ?  And  in  the  work  of  preaching  the 
Gospel,  there  are  no  finer  specimens  of  burning  eloquence 
than  his  sermon  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  and  his  address  be- 
fore the  Council.  I  could  not  put  him  higher  in  this  respect 
than  Paul,  but  he  was  at  least  on  a  level  with  him ;  and  it  is 
only  because  occasionally  his  courage  gave  way  to  panic,  and 
his  promptitude  degenerated  into  rashness,  that  he  was  in 
any  way  morally  inferior  to  the  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles.  In 
one  thing  they  were  alike,  namely,  their  ardent  attachment 
to  the  Lord,  and  their  jealousy  of  any  thing  that  infringed 
on  his  prerogative.  Peter's  reproof  of  Simon  Magus  stands 
side  by  side  with  Paul's  trenchant  address  to  Elymas,  the 
sorcerer ;  and  both  are  pervaded  with  that  burning  loyalty 
to  the  Holy  Ghost  for  which  they  were  remarkable. 

But  enthusiasm  has  its  perils  as  well  as  its  excellence. 
When  the  pendulum  swings  with  all  its  weight  to  one  side, 
there  is  always  danger  that  it  will  go  as  heavily  to  the  oth- 
er ;  and  so  those  who  are  gifted  with  intensity  have  need  to 
be  on  their  guard,  lest  they  are  borne  by  it  in  a  wrong  direc- 
tion. "  It  is  good  to  be  zealously  affected  always  in  a  good 
thing."  Earnestness,  in  and  of  itself,  is  little ;  every  thing 
depends  on  the  object  in  which  it  is  enlisted.  It  is  no  miti- 
gation of  wrong  to  say  that  a  man  is  sincerely  wrong.  It  is 
no  extenuation  of  evil  to  affirm  that  a  man  is  earnestly  in 
evil.  The  sincerity  will  make  it  all  the  more  dangerous  for 
himself,  and  the  earnestness  will  render  it  all  the  more  in- 


A  Servant  and  an  Apostle  of  Christ.         361 

jurious  to  others.  One  is  not  the  less  really  opposed  to 
God  because  he  is  sincerely  so,  and  the  earnestness  of 
his  antagonism  will  lead  him  only  to  more  aggravated 
sin. 

Let  us  see  to  it,  therefore,  that  we  keep  our  intensity  sub- 
ordinate to  conscience.  It  is  always  dangerous  for  a  vessel 
to  strike  a  rock ;  but  if  she  be  a  steamship,  with  her  engines 
going  at  full  speed,  the  ruin  will  be  tremendous.  An  ordi- 
nary carriage  can  not  be  overturned  without  peril  to  its  in- 
mate ;  but  the  wrecking  of  an  express -train  is  something 
frightful.^  So,  when  a  man  of  intensity  like  David  or  like 
Peter  goes  into  sin,  the  evil  is  terrible  ;  and  it  behooves 
those  who  have  such  an  ardent  temperament  to  be  peculiar- 
ly on  their  guard. 

But  I  can  not  conclude  without  making  three  inferences 
from  our  whole  subject.  The  first  is  that  a  man's  defectsi 
are  frequently  in  the  near  neighborhood  of  his  excellences. 
We  have  seen  how  Peter's  promptitude  occasionally  leaned 
over  into  hastiness,  and  his  courage  sometimes  degenerated 
into  rashness ;  and  if  we  take  a  wider  range  of  inquiry,  we 
may  discover  th.at  good  men  are  in  most  danger  where  they 
are  usually  strongest.  I  grant,  indeed,  that  most  of  us  have 
special  weaknesses  where  we  know  we  are  most  liable  to  fail ; 
but,  just  because  we  know  that,  we  are  most  watchful  in  re- 
gard to  these.  It  is  not  so  often  considered,  however,  that 
we  liave  all  particular  elements  of  strength,  our  knowledge 
of  which  leads  to  confidence  in  them  ;  and  that,  again,  is  the 
precursor  of  a  fall.  In  this  way  we  account  for  the  fact  that 
some  of  the  greatest  saints  who  have  ever  lived  have  failed 
in  their  characteristic  graces ;  and  in  Peter  it  was  in  those 
very  elements  of  genuineness  and  courage  which  were  his 
most  marked  excellences  that  he  fell,  not  once,  but  twice. 
So  it  is  not  safe  to  relax  our  watchfulness  in  any  particular. 
"  Let  him  that  thinketh  he  standeth,  take  heed  lest  he  fall ;" 

16 


362  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

and  where  we  are  commonly  the  strongest,  let  us  post  the 
wariest  sentinel. 

Again,  we  may  learn  that  a  man's  usefulness  often  springs 
out  of  some  recovery  from  sin.  It  is  the  high  prerogative 
of  God  to  bring  good  out  of  evil,  and  even  the  existence  of 
sin  has  been  the  occasion  of  manifesting  the  mercy  of  Je- 
hovah. So  in  the  case  of  the  individual  believer,  his  very 
falls  are  turned  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  good  account  in 
giving  him  an  experience  which  enables  him  to  be  a  ben- 
efit to  others.  Those  who  have  been  the  victims  of  in- 
temperance, and  have  been  restored  to  themselves  and  to 
society  by  the  grace  of  God,  are  thereby  better  fitted  than 
other  men  for  rescuing  the  drunkard ;  and  their  success  in 
such  Christ-like  work  is  at  least  some  consolation  to  them 
when  they  look  back  upon  the  doleful  past.  In  the  same 
way,  Peter's  fall  and  restoration  are  the  fountain  from  which 
has  flowed  the  stream  of  his  first  epistle.  That  is,  from  first 
to  last,  a  letter  for  the  tried  and  tempted  whom  he  seeks  to 
comfort  with  the  comfort  wherewith  he  himself  was  comfort- 
ed of  God.  Thus  the  fall  of  one  Christian,  when  he  is  re- 
stored, may  become  the  means  of  preventing  others  from 
yielding  to  temptation,  or  from  sinking  into  despair ;  for  he 
raises  a  beacon  on  the  rock  whereon  he  struck,  and  makes 
the  navigation  just  so  much  the  safer  for  those  who  shall 
come  after  him.  Strengthen  thy  brethren,  therefore,  out  of 
thine  own  experience;  and  if  God  have  saved  thee  from 
peril,  cry  back  a  word  of  warning  to  those  who  are  in  dan- 
ger, and  send  a  message  of  cheer  to  those  who  are  in  de- 
spondency. 

Finally,  we  get  a  fresh  glimpse  into  the  Saviour's  heart 
through  his  treatment  of  the  son  of  Jonas.  Is  it  not  true, 
brethren,  that  God's  revelations  of  himself  to  us  come  most 
strikingly  and  suggestively  through  his  dealings  with  indi- 
vidual men  ?     When  we  speak  of  him  as  the  God  of  Abra- 


A  Servant  and  an  Apostle  of  Christ.         363 

ham,  we  think  of  him  especially  as  strengthening  his  people 
under  severest  trial.  When  we  call  him  the  God  of  Jacob, 
we  have  before  us  those  two  scenes  at  Bethel  and  Peniel, 
and  we  think  of  him  as  the  God  who  heareth  prayer.  When 
we  regard  him  as  the  Lord  God  of  Elijah,  we  think  of  him 
as  he  who  provideth  for  his  own,  ay,  even  when  they  lie  un- 
der the  juniper-tree  of  discouragement  and  desertion  of  duty. 
And  so  the  Lord  Jesus  has  revealed  himself  to  us  through 
his  dealings  with  his  different  disciples.  As  the  Saviour  of 
Thomas,  he  is  brought  before  us  as  one  who  deals  gently 
with  the  doubter,  and  leads  him  up  to  faith.  As  the  Saviour 
of  Paul,  he  is  manifested  to  us  as  the  sustainer  of  his  serv- 
ants in  every  form  of  trial  and  suffering.  But  ^s  the  Saviour 
of  Peter,  he  is  pre-eminently  and  emphatically  the  rest6rer 
of  the  penitent.  What  could  be  more  touching  in  its  ten- 
de'rness  than  the  fact  that  on  the  afternoon  of  the  resurrec- 
tion-day the  Lord  Jesus  had  a  private  interview  with  his 
repentant  servant,  and  kissed  the  past  into  forgetfulness  ? 
And  is  there  not  in  this,  peculiar  encouragement  to  the 
backslider  to  return  to  him }  Is  there  one  here  who  has 
denied  the  Lord — one  who  in  business,  or  in  domestic  life, 
or  in  society,  has  repudiated  the  Saviour,  whom  in  earlier 
days  he  sought  to  honor  and  promised  to  serve  ?  Then  let 
him  learn  from  the  history  of  that  servant  of  God,  whose  life 
has  been  so  long  our  theme,  how  freely  Jesus  will  forgive 
those  who  return  to  their  allegiance  to  him.  Come  back, 
my  friend,  come  back !  He  will  not  cast  you  out.  He  will 
put  a  new  song  into  your  mouth,  and  teach  you  to  say,  "  He 
restoreth  my  soul :  he  leadeth  me  in  the  paths  of  righteous- 
ness for  his  name's  sake,"     Take  with  you  words,  and  say, 

"Jesus,  let  thy  pitying  eye 

Call  back  a  wandering  sheep  ; 
False  to  thee,  like  Peter,  I 
Would  fain,  like  Peter,  weep. 


364  Peter,  the  Apostle. 

"  Let  me  be  by  grace  restored  ; 

On  me  be  all  long-suffering  shown  : 
Turn  and  look  upon  me,  Lord, 
And  melt  my  heart  of  stone  ;" 

and  soon  the  answer  will  come,  "  I  will  heal  your  backslid- 
ing ;  I  will  love  you  freely :  for  mine  anger  is  turned  away 
from  you." 

And  so  we  take  our  leave  of  thee,  thou  generous,  impul- 
sive, wayward,  impetuous,  yet  true-hearted  man  of  God  !  We 
have  come  to  know  ourselves  better  through  our  acquaint- 
ance with  thee,  and  even  thy  backsliding  has  shown  us  new 
depths  of  mercy  in  the  heart  of  Christ.  So,  being  convert- 
ed, thou  hast  strengthened  thy  brethren,  and  we  glorify  God 
in  thee.  Thy  very  errors  have  brought  thee  closer  to  our- 
selves, and  taught  us  at  once  our  danger  and  our  safety. 
Now  hast  thou  ascended  to  the  true  Mount  of  Transfigu- 
ration, whereon  thou  dwellest  in  no  frail  "  tabernacle  "  such 
as  thou  didst  wish  to  rear  on  Hermon's  summit,  but  in  "an 
house  not  made  with  hands  eternal  in  the  heavens ;"  and 
when  the  chief  Shepherd  shall  appear,  may  there  be  for  us 
as  for  thee  "a  crown  of  glory  that  fadeth  not  away." 


INDEX 


Alexander,  W.  L.,  LL.D.,  edition  of  "Kitto's  Cyclopaedia,"  by,  quoted 
from  or  referred  to,  8i,  246,  337. 

Alford's  "  Commentary  on  the  New  Testament,"  quoted  from  or  referred 
to.  III,  161,  245,286,  289. 

Ananias  and  Sapphira,  sin  of,  222-224  >  aggravations  of  their  guilt,  224 ; 
punishment  of,  226. 

Andrew  follows  Jesus,  21 ;  brings  Peter  to  Jesus,  23,  28. 

Antagonism  to  be  expected  by  Christ's  disciples,  206. 

Antagonists  of  the  apostles  described,  201-203. 

Apostasy,  root  of,  72  ;  beginning  of,  119. 

Applause,  human,  fluctuating  character  of,  69 ;  danger  of,  to  the  minis- 
ter, 70. 

Atonement,  modern  objections  to,  considered,  100-104. 

Attitude  of  Christ  to  the  inquirer,  24,  65  ;  to  the  penitent,  149. 

Babylon,  Peter  at,  333. 

Barnabas,  liberality  of,  222;  at  the  Council  of  Jerusalem,  319;  at  Anti- 

och,  320. 
Beautiful  Gate,  lame  man  at  the,  187. 

Becket,  Thomas  a,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  reference  to,  131. 
Bethsaida  described,  21,  22. 
Biography,  cautions  in  the  study  of,  349. 
Bringing  others  to  Christ,  duty  of,  28 ;  methods  of,  29 ;  where  to  begin 

in,  30»  35- 
Brown,  John,  of  Pladdington,  description  of,  50. 
Bryant,  W.  C,  quotation  from,  248, 
Bunyan,  John,  words  of,  249  ;  anecdote  of,  251. 
Burns,  Rev.  J.  D,,  verses  by,  316. 

Carlyle,  Thomas,  quoted  from,  107,  231,  276. 
Cesarea  described,  283. 
Cesarea  Philippi  described,  79. 
Chalmers,  Thomas,  referred  to,  34,  263. 
Character-building  the  great  end  of  Christianity,  346. 
Christ  receives  Peter,  23  ;  goes  to  Capernaum,  36  ;  preaches  from  Peter's 
boat,  38;  gives  miraculous  draught  of  fishes  to  Peter,  39;  heals  Peter's 


366  Index. 

mother-in-law,  51  ;  ordains  the  twelve,  51 ;  hears  of  the  death  of  the 
Baptist,  52 ;  feeds  the  multitude,  53  ;  sends  his  disciples  across  the 
lake,  53 ;  walks  upon  the  waters,  55  ;  encourages  Peter  to  do  the  same, 
56;  refuses  to  be  made  a  king,  66;  goes  to  Cesarea  Philippi,  78; 
blesses  Peter  for  his  confession,  84 ;  rebukes  Peter  for  his  aversion  to 
the  doctrine  of  a  suffering  Saviour,  97 ;  takes  Peter,  James,  and  John 
up  to  the  Mount,  109 ;  keeps  his  last  passover,  125  ;  washes  the  feet 
of  the  disciples,  126;  is  denied  by  Peter,  138-140 ;  death  of,  155  ;  res- 
urrection of,  155  ;  appears  to  the  disciples,  156  ;  and  to  Peter,  157. 

Christians,  remind  on-lookers  of  Christ,  207;  walk  only  after  God's  word, 
209  ;  have  chosen  fellowship  with  each  other,  212. 

Church,  early  Christian,  relation  of,  to  the  Jewish,  185  ;  female  member- 
ship in,  238 ;  early  progress  of,  271 ;  unity  of,  311. 

Church  in  the  house,  importance  of  the,  32. 

Clarkson  and  Wilberforce,  anecdote  of,  118. 

Cle-ment,  testimony  of,  as  to  Peter's  last  days,  341. 

Community  of  goods  in  early  Church  considered,  217-222. 

Confession  of  Christ,  the  result  of  divine  operation  on  the  soul,  90;  con- 
nected with  the  permanence  of  the  Church,  92  ;  and  with  its  progress, 

93- 
Cornelius,  character  of,  283  ;  vision  of,  285  ;  sends  for  Peter,  286 ;  meets 

him  with  deference,  287  ;  is  received  by  baptism  into  the  Church,  293. 
Council,  Jewish,  described,  204;    Peter's  address  before,  204;   second 

appearance  at,  242. 
Courage,  a  characteristic  of  Peter,  357. 
Cross,  no  kingdom  without  a,  104. 

Danger  sometimes  greatest  where  we  are  commonly  strongest,  150, 

361 ;  of  one  evil  habit,  231 ;  of  one-sided  views,  325. 
Devotion  needs  seclusion,  117;  sees  new  glory  in  Christ  and  in  his  word, 

120;  is  not  the  whole  of  life,  121 ;  furnishes  support  for  duty  and  trial, 

122. 
Dick,  Rev.  John,  D.D.,  quoted  from,  217,  260. 
Difficulties  of  a  speculative  sort  should  not  keep  us  from  following 

Christ,  168. 
Discipleship  precedes  apostleship,  40. 
Distance  from  the  Lord  a  precursor  of  denial,  144. 
Dorcas,  an  illustration  of  practical  beneficence,  275  ;  raised  to  life  by 

Peter,  279. 

Elijah,  the  prototype  of  John  the  Baptist,  8  ;  on  the  Mount  with  Christ, 

114. 
Eneas  cured  by  Peter  at  Lydda,  274. 
Experience,  Christian,  importance  of,  for  steadfastness,  76. 

Fairbairn's  ''Imperial  Bible  Dictionary"  quoted  from,  24,  80. 


Index.  367 

Fidelity  the  truest  kindness,  197,  327. 
Finding  Christ,  meaning  of,  26-28. 

First  Epistle  of  Peter,  date  of,  334 ;  contents  and  characteristics  of,  335. 
Fishers  of  men,  meaning  of,  48-51. 

Fishes,  first  miraculous  draught  of,  39 ;  second  miraculous  draught  of, 
158;  comparison  of  the  one  to  the  other,  1585  meaning  of  both,  159. 

Gamaliel,  character  of,  246  ;  advice  of,  247-249. 

Gennesaret,  Lake  of,  37,  38  ;  storm  on,  54. 

Gentiles  received  into  the  Church,  293. 

Gift  of  tongues,  173  ;  comparison  of,  with  the  phenomena  in  the  Church 

of  Corinth,  174,  175. 
God's  fullest  revelations  made  through  the  histories  of  individual  men, 

364- 
Gospel  for  the  people,  240  ;  Petrine,  245. 
Guthrie,  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas,  contrasted  with  J.  S.  Mill,  263. 

Hamilton,  Patrick,  referred  to,  316. 

Hanna,  Rev.  Dr.  W.,  quoted  from,  iii. 

Havelock,  General,  letter  by,  210. 

Hearers  prepared  for  the  preacher,  297. 

Henry,  Matthew,  saying  of,  119. 

Herod  Agrippa  I.,  character  of,  301 ;  puts  James  to  death,  303  ;  impris- 
ons Peter,  304 ;  death  of,  309. 

High-priest's  accusation  of  Peter,  242. 

Holiness  essential  to  peace,  345. 

Holy  Spirit,  baptism  of  the,  10,  15;  gift  of  the,  on  Pentecost,  173-176; 
second  baptism  of  the,  206  ;  conferred  on  the  Gentiles,  292. 

Home  the  starting-place  of  Christian  work,  31-33. 

House,  description  of  an  Oriental,  139. 

Humility  the  spirit  of  martyrdom,  161. 

Hypocrisy  impossible  with  God,  233 ;  a  case  of,  does  not  prove  a  re- 
vival false,  264. 

Imprisonment  of  apostles,  203,  239  ;  of  Peter  by  Herod,  304. 
Inspiration  different  from  sanctification,  321. 
Intensity  a  characteristic  of  Peter,  359. 

James,  martyrdom  of,  by  Herod,  303. 

Jay,  Rev.  W.,  quoted  from,  45. 

John  the  Apostle,  introduction  of,  to  Jesus,  21  ;   Gospel  of,  153  ;  runs 

with  Peter  to  the  sepulchre,  156;  comparison  of,  with  Peter,  186,  187. 
John  the  Baptist,  ministry  of,  7-20 ;  preaching  of,  9 ;  baptism  of,  10 ; 

points  out  Jesus  to  his  followers,  11  ;  humility  of,  12  ;  resemblance  of, 

to  Elijah,  13  ;  a  model  of  self-renunciation,  19. 
Joppa  described,  274  ;  Peter's  vision  at,  286. 


368  Index. 

Josephus,  Flavius,  quoted  from,  7,  247,  302,  311. 

Joy  the  result  of  receiving  the  Gospel,  262. 

Judas,  beginning  of  apostasy  of,  68 ;  why  chosen  as  an  apostle,  72  ;  ex- 
planation of  treachery  of,  'Jt,  ;  remorse  of,  distinguished  from  repent- 
ance, 149. 

Judea,  condition  of,  when  John  the  Baptist  appeared,  7. 

Keble,  John,  quoted  from,  20,  282. 

Keys,  gift  of,  to  Peter,  83-87. 

Kingdom  of  heaven,  meaning  of,  86;  law  of  the,  104. 

Lame  man,  the,  at  the  Beautiful  Gate  of  the  Temple,  187, 188. 

Law  of  the  kingdom,  104.    . 

Laws  of  nature,  in  relation  to  miracles,  189  ;  and  to  prayer,  314. 

Leighton,  Archbishop,  saying  of,  49. 

Leighton,  William,  lines  by,  64. 

Liberty,  relation  of  Peter's  words  to,  244. 

Light  increased  to  us  when  we  use  what  we  have,  293. 

Lightfoot,  Rev.  J.  R,,  D.D.,  quoted  from,  322. 

Lipsius,  view  of,  on  the  question  of  Peter's  visit  to  Rome,  343. 

Liverpool,  fire  in,  illustration  from,  10. 

Longfellow,  H.  W.,  quoted  from,  299. 

Luther,  Martin,  referred  to,  263. 

Lydda  described,  272. 

Mammon  and  God  can  not  be  served  at  once,  230. 

Matheson  Duncan,  anecdote  of,  264. 

Mill,  J.  S.,  contrasted  with  Guthrie,  263. 

Minister,  the,  must  be  absorbed  in  his  work,  46  ;  a  fisher  of  men,  48-50  ; 
must  be  indifferent  to  applause  for  its  own  sake,  70. 

Ministry,  faithful,  effect  of  a,  twofold,  228. 

Miracle,  definition  of  a,  189;  possibility  of  a,  190;  relation  of  to  the  Gos- 
pel, 190;  evidential  value  of  a,  191. 

Moffat,  Robert,  D.D.,  lines  of,  written  in  an  album,  46. 

Money  not  the  most  valuable  thing,  196. 

Moody,  D.  L.,  work  of,  referred  to,  18,  265. 

Moses  on  the  Mount,  114. 

Motive,  true,  to  Christian  work,  166. 

Myers,  F.  W.  H.,  quoted  from,  14. 

Neander,  Augustus,  quoted  from,  15,  16,  220,  257,  285. 
Newton,  John,  anecdotes  of,  44  ;  saying  of,  106. 

Objections  to  the  doctrine  of  atonement  considered,  100-104. 

Palazzo,  Rospigliosi,  illustration  from,  193. 


Index.  369 

Pastoral  office,  wide  range  of,  164. 

Paul,  first  meeting  of,  with  Peter,  268;  at  Antioch,  320;  expostulation 
of  with  Peter,  322 ;  lessons  from  his  conduct  on  that  occasion,  328- 

331- 

Payson,  Rev.  Dr.  Edward,  rule  of,  359. 

Pentecost,  meaning  of,  172;  reasons  for  selecting  day  of,  for  the  gift  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  171  ;  meeting  of  the  disciples  on  day  of,  172 ;  gift  of 
tongues  on,  173  ;  Peter's  sermon  on  day  of,  178;  connection  of  prayer 
with,  blessings  on,  180. 

Perpetuity  of  the  Word  of  God,  315. 

Persecution,  root  of,  203  ;  overruled  for  good  of  the  Church,  260-262  ;  a 
blunder,  315. 

Peter  introduced  to  Christ  by  Andrew,  23,  28 ;  lends  his  boat  for  a  pul- 
pit to  Christ,  38 ;  miraculous  draught  of  fishes  by,  39 ;  effect  of  that 
miracle  on,  39 ;  called  to  apostleship,  40 ;  first  in  all  the  lists  of  the 
Twelve,  52 ;  walks  on  the  water  and  begins  to  sink,  55  ;  characteris- 
tics of,  56,  127,  128, 157,  163,351-361 ;  first  confession  of,  65-68;  sec- 
ond confession  of,  78-82  ;  meaning  of  Christ's  promises  to,  84-90  ;  re- 
buked by  the  Lord,  97  ;  taken  up  to  the  holy  mount,  1 1 1  ;  washing  of 
feet  of,  127;  consistent  individuality  of,  in  the  New  Testament,  129; 
denials  of  Christ  by,  138-141 ;  precursors  of  denials  of,  148 ;  sequel 
of  denials  of,  148;  runs  with  John  to  the  sepulchre,  156;  receives  a 
threefold  commission,  160;  sermon  of,  on  Pentecost,  177;  compared 
with  John,  186;  sermon  of,  at  Solomon's  Porch,  194;  shadow  of,  236, 
238 ;  before  the  council  the  second  time,  242-245 ;  reproves  Simon 
Magus,  259 ;  first  meeting  of,  with  Paul,  268 ;  cures  Eneas  at  Lydda, 
273  ;  raises  Dorcas  to  life  at  Joppa,  275-279 ;  vision  of,  at  Joppa, 
286 ;  goes  to  Cornelius,  287  ;  sermon  of,  in  house  of  Cornelius,  290 ; 
promptitude  of,  295,  354;  imprisoned  by  Herod,  304;  composure  of 
307  ;  released  by  an  angel,  307  ;  received  by  the  disciples,  308 ;  vacil- 
lation of,  at  Antioch,  320 ;  reproved  by  Paul,  223  ;  epistles  of,  332 ; 
at  Babylon,  333  ;  did  he  visit  Rome  ?  341. 

Philip  the  Deacon,  preaching  of,  in  Samaria,  255. 

Pollok,  Robert,  saying  of,  35  ;  quoted  from,  214. 

Pope,  the,  not  the  successor  of  Peter,  88;  washing  of  feet  by  the,  131 ; 
primacy  of  the,  not  connected  with  Peter,  236. 

Porch,  Solomon's,  description  of,  194;  Peter's  sermon  in,  194,  195. 

Practical  beneficence  illustrated  by  Dorcas,  276,  278. 

Prayer,  Pentecost  begun  in,  180  ;  the  resource  of  Christians  in  trial,  214  ; 
offered  by  disciples  for  Peter's  release,  305  ;  power  of,  313  ;  relation 
of,  to  laws  of  nature,  314. 

Preachers  prepared  by  God  for  their  hearers,  297.  , 

Preaching,  characteristics  of  Peter's,  at  Pentecost,  182-184. 

Pressense,  Edward  de,  quoted  from,  13. 

Prison,  Peter's  release  from,  an  illustration  of  the  Christian's  death, 
316. 

16* 


370  Index. 

Promptitude  necessary  in  dealing  with  inquirers,  295 ;  a  characteristic  of 
Peter,  354. 

Rashness  prepares  the  way  for  the  denial  of  Christ,  143. 

Kenan's  "Life  of  Jesus,"  quoted  from,  154. 

Repentance,  as  preached  by  John  the  Baptist,  9 ;  preaching  of,  the  pre- 
lude to  revival,  14 ;  genuine  marks  of,  149 ;  connection  of,  with  times 
of  refreshing,  199. 

Reproof  to  be  received  with  meekness,  327. 

Revival,  begins  in  prayer,  180 ;  shows  itself  first  in  the  quickening  of 
disciples,  181  ;  accompanied  by  the  preaching  of  the  truth,  182. 

Ritter's  "  Comparative  Geography  of  Palestine,"  quoted  from,  no. 

Robertson,  F.  W.,  referred  to,  294. 

Robinson,  Rev.  Dr.  Edward,  quoted  from,  79,  125. 

Rogers,  Henry,  quoted  from,  102. 

Sacrificial  character  of  Christ's  death,  17;  importance  of  preaching 
the,  18;  objections  to,  considered,  100-104. 

Saints,  Christians  first  called,  279. 

Samaritans  described,  255. 

Sanctification  distinct  from  inspiration,  321. 

Schafif,  Rev.  Philip,  D.D.,  quoted  from,  219. 

Scott,  Thomas,  story  of,  30. 

Second  Epistle  of  Peter,  genuineness  of,  338. 

Self-confidence  a  precursor  of  denial,  141. 

Self-denial,  meaning  of,  as  enforced  by  Christ,  105. 

Self-knowledge,  through  the  discovery  of  Christ,  an  element  of  minis- 
terial power,  42. 

Shadow  of  Peter,  236-238. 

Skepticism  connected  with  the  state  of  the  Church,  16. 

Simeon,  Charles,  anecdote  of,  106. 

Simon  Magus,  character  of,  256,  260  ;  request  of,  259.  • 

Sincerity,  naturalness  indispensable  to,  351. 

Smith's  "  Dictionary  "  quoted  from,  340. 

Speculative  difficulties  should  not  keep  us  from  following  Christ,  168. 

Spurgeon,  C.  H.,  referred  to,  34. 

Stanley,  Dean,  quoted  from,  38,  79,  80. 

Steadfastness,  elements  of,  75. 

Stephen,  preaching  and  martyrdom  of,  253,  254. 

Substitution,  why  impossible  in  human  law,  102. 

Tabor,  Mount,  not  the  scene  of  the  Transfiguration,  no. 
Thomson,  Rev.  W.  M.,  D.D.,  quoted  from,  54. 
Tongues,  gift  of,  173. 

Transfiguration,  purpose  of,  as  connected  with  Christ,  113  ;  with  Moses 
and  Elijah,  114;  with  Peter,  James,  and  John,  115. 


Index. 


371 


Trench,  Archbishop,  quoted  from,  28,  39,  58,  100,  no,  192. 

Trial,  often  sent  to  prevent  declension,  57 ;  lightened  by  Christ's  inter- 
cession, 60 ;  removed  by  Christ's  coming  to  us,  61 ;  strength  obtained 
for,  in  devotion,  122  ;  to  be  expected  in  Christian  experience,  347. 

Usefulness  of  a  man  sometimes  connected  with  his  recovery  from  sin, 
362. 

Washing  of  the  disciples'  feet  by  Jesus,  meanhig  of,  132 ;  lessons  from, 

134- 
Wilberforce  and  Clarkson,  anecdote  of,  118. 
Wisdom  needed  in  the  winning  of  souls,  198. 
Wordsworth's  "Commentary  on  the  Greek  New  Testament,"  quoted 

from,  159. 


THE   END. 


165 


Date  Due 


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Peter,  the  apostle. 


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